Eyes
by Twix26
Summary: ‘Those eyes… I’ve seen them before…’ Harry and Draco are troubled teens. After Harry spends six months in juvi, he’s back in the real world. Their first plan: rob yet another house, not knowing that doing so would change their lives forever…
1. Troubled Youths

**Eyes**

'Those eyes… I've seen them before…' Harry and Draco are troubled teens. After Harry spends six months in juvi, he's back in the real world. Their first plan: rob the first place they see, not knowing that doing that would change their lives forever…

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter but I do own this story.

**Ship: **I'll leave it for a surprise. This story is NOT a slash.

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone. I'm new to writing fanfiction but after reading so many stories I decided to do my own. This isn't a normal Harry Potter story. It's not set in the wizarding world and doesn't have anything to do with magic. Its Harry as a muggle and a possible way he could have turned out after living with the Dursley's for so long. And yes Malfoy will be a main character in the story. Not the main one but one of them. I know some people don't like fanfictions with Malfoy as one of the main characters or as a semi good guy or even friends with Harry (myself sometimes included) but it depends on the story. After what's going to take place in the story… I can't picture Ron in Draco's spot. Read and Enjoy!

**Prologue: Troubled Youths**

"Hurry the fuck up Draco! Put the stuff in the bloody bag, and move on!"

"Yes _Darling_ I'm going as fast as I can… It's not like we'll get caught."

"Damn it, Malfoy… Don't get cocky. Concentrate on what you're doing and get the stuff over there!" The messy, black haired teen pointed his finger over to the dark oak dresser on the other side of the room. There on top of it was an antique jewelry box and by the looks of it, held something expensive.

He was at the dresser in a flash, throwing anything and everything within reach into an already half - full bag. "Harry! Look what I found!" His smile was full of greed as his eyes glinted with excitement.

Just as Harry was about to move to the other end of the room, there were slamming doors and shouts ringing through the once silent night. Almost at once, voices were already inside the house, drawing nearer and nearer with each passing second.

The house was white and rather large, it was apparent some wealthy people lived there. It was two stories high and was located in a small rich district in London. The front of the house was lined with red and blue flowers and had a few trees. In the back there was a large patio with a mini bar on it. There was also a pool along with a hot tub. It had multiple windows on each floor which would come in handy if they got into a sticky situation but tonight they had been sure they wouldn't.

They had actually been planning to break into this house for about a week and had gotten down the families routines pretty well. Tonight they were going to their daughter's ballet recital. About a half an hour after the family had left, Draco and Harry broke in.

When they first walked in the door the house was large and empty, except for expensive items to show off to their friends. There were a few small statues along with some very expensive art paintings. A crystal chandelier hung, glimmering from the moonlight it caught from the window above the oak doors. Two staircases lined the walls both going up leading to another story. There were also small glass tables around the room which held small vases, crystal lamps and flowers.

They hadn't snooped around too long, just making their way into various, large sized rooms with silk curtains and gold jewelry. All of the rooms had at least a dozen things that would sell for hundreds of dollars. Currently, they were on the second floor.

Down the hall, cops were muttering quietly, but Harry's keen ears managed to pick it up.

Suddenly, Draco felt a jerk as Harry tugged him by the collar of his shirt into the nearest closet. The emerald eyed seventeen year old motioned for his friend to be silent as he listened intently on what was happening outside the closet doors.

A few footsteps crossed from the hall into the spacious room. Seconds passed as the cops glanced around, and stealthily they crept to the closet.

As the door slowly creaked open, Draco shot a panicked glance to Harry. Harry, trying to stay clam and thinking quick, shoved Draco and himself to an alcove in the closet behind some expensive fur coats. Light shined into the closet as the cops looked around carefully, scanning the large closet.

Seeing nothing, the cops motioned to each other, and walked out the door and into the next room. Harry, hearing they were safe for the moment, quickly and quietly opened the closet door and made a dash to the window, Draco in toe.

Harry quickly snapped the window open, pushing it up as quickly as possible. But, behind him there was an extremely large crash.

Whipping around, the green eyed teen saw Draco, his stormy blue eyes wide with panic and shock, standing over a shattered blue vase. Already, the cops were at the door. Needing to get out or else be caught, the two jumped out the window. They hit the ground and jumped up quickly with nothing but a few scratches and took off as fast as they could down the street… The cops close behind.

Still keeping their speed, Harry led them around a corner to a dead end ally. They had ran a long way probably close to three miles; out of the wealthy district and into a shopping district with old rundown brick buildings. Looking around and racking his brain for idea, Harry saw a fire escape about eleven feet up. Grabbing Draco's arm, he pulled them over to the fire escape.

"What are you doing, we gotta run!"

"We're going up!"

"How? The ladder's busted, how are we suppose to reach?"

"I'll give you a boost." He glanced behind his shoulder and sees a long shadow becoming shorter as the cops approached. "Then you pull me up."

Nodding quickly, Draco put his foot into Harry's waiting hands. Reaching as far as he could, he finally grasped onto the platform of the escape and managed to pull himself up. Turning around and looking down, Draco was shocked to see his friend was no longer there. Glancing around, he saw Harry a few feet away, hiding behind a dumpster.

Harshly, but quietly, he whispered, "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Shut up, stay up there and keep quiet!" Harry ordered, sending a sharp glare to his friend.

"B - but what about you?"

To this, Harry smiled and replied, "Better me than the both of us…" With that, the cops came around the corner and spotted him instantly. Pulling him up roughly, they shoved him against the wall, hands forced behind his back.

As they cuffed him, one of the cops began to say, "You have the right to remain silent…"

--

Running a hand through his messy hair, Harry got up off of his bed and walked towards the window. It was dark and gloomy outside as rain continued to poor from the sky. _'Another rainy day' _he thought as he sat back down on his bed. He had been in juvi for a little over a week and already he wanted out.

After he had been arrested they had triad him soon after for all of the robberies he had done, six in total. Of course they didn't know about all of the other things he had done in his life, which was a good thing because he would have been put in here for a _much_ longer time. They had asked him who helped him in the robberies in exchange for a month off of juvi, but he hadn't said anything. He would have never ratted Draco out, they had been through too much together. So as far as he knew Draco still had not been caught.

He was immediately put into a juvenile delinquent center in London. The place was fairly big. It was an old warn down brick building that used to be a prison about fifty years ago. It had a rather large front and back yard. The front had nothing on it but the back had a basketball court with torn up, uneven tar on the ground. The hoop itself wasn't in any better shape, it looked like it would fall apart at any second. A tall wired fence ran around the whole perimeter of the juvenile center. There was machinery, trucks and supplies in the back also which would eventually be brought inside by the delinquents here.

Harry had been placed in a small room by himself. It was fairly simple, two beds and besides them two bedside tables. There was one window that overlooked the front yard. The walls were in horrible shape and needed some serious paint on them. The existing paint was faded and peeling off the walls.

Most people in the place shared rooms with another person but he had only himself in his and he liked it better this way. He didn't need some idiotic kid to share a room with, bothering him every second of the day. Most of the people here were amateurs, had never done anything too terrible. Eighty percent of the people here had shoplifted a few times, maybe had mildly assaulted a person or had harmed some animals. Possibly one or two people had even hotwired a car… but he doubted it.

There was one group though that had gotten into a little bit more trouble than the rest, more like himself. As far as he had heard they had tried to rob a man who wouldn't give up any of his money, thinking the teens were just bluffing. Sadly he had been wrong. The man now lay on a hospital bed in a coma and it was skeptical that he would ever wake up from it.

This group had already marked Harry as a target, trying to scare him, to show him who was the boss and that they weren't going to be dethroned. They were threatened by him, which is something he took as a compliment because he was indeed not someone you provoke. They hadn't done anything too serious as of yet, mostly just giving him looks that promised pain if they were to ever get him alone without a guard around.

He did have one small confrontation with the group on his first day here. They had managed to distracted a guard and had cornered him in one of the laundry rooms they were assigned to work in for the day. They were going to "welcome" him to the center. Fortunately Harry hadn't been harmed but he couldn't say that about the others who had tried to mess with him. Harry had gotten more than a few good punches in to get the point across that he should be left alone. This though only had the group want to get back at him… hence he become there main target.

As he was coming out of his thoughts the door opened and a cocky guard by the name of Jones came in with a navy blue security outfit on and a smirk plastered on his face. Harry really hated this man. He had also singled out Harry for being the new guy and picked on and goaded him every chance he got, hoping that Harry would do something to retaliate and get into a lot of trouble. Harry hadn't fallen for it though, he'd dealt with much worse before.

"Better make some room. As of tonight, you've got a new buddy you can hang out with." With that the guard grinned and left, locking the door behind him.

Harry stared at the spot where the guard had been standing and slowly got up. He looked around the room calmly and went to his bedside table where a glass of water was kept. He picked it up and instead of drinking the water from it, threw it as hard as he could against the opposite wall. As the pieces of shattered glass fell to the ground, his mind kept repeating the same thing…

It was going to be a long six months.

--

**Author's Note:** This is my first fanfiction I've ever posted. I've actually got a Harry/Hermione story in the works but its going to take some time to get it on here. I personally like this story a lot, but I would always like feedback, so tell me what you think! Please no flames but constructive criticism is always welcome. If you didn't care much for the story well… I promise it gets better. R&R


	2. Free At Last

**Chapter One: Free At Last**

Leaning against the side of the building Harry took a long drag from his cigarette and looked around. It was a bright and sunny day, the type of day where everyone is out and about. Across the street a family of three walked by; the two parents pushing their baby in a stroller. Down the sidewalk a few yards from him was a couple sitting out side eating ice cream and seemed as though they were on a date. Someone walked by him and he took a step back hiding in the shadow of the building. Everyone seemed to be happy today but no one was as happy as he was. He had finally gotten out of that hell hole.

Six months in juvi may not have seemed like a long time when he had been sentenced but to Harry it felt like it had taken an eternity to finish his time there. It had been a total nightmare. He didn't mind the work he had to do, in fact he had rather enjoyed it. It gave him something to do. No, there were two things about the place that Harry couldn't stand.

One was that the person they had put into his room to share with was a fourteen year old that seemed to be in awe of Harry. The kid, after hearing he had robbed six houses _and_ after hearing all of the rumors floating around about a bunch of other things he had "supposedly" done; started following Harry around like they were attached to the hip.

That added with the fact that they had assigned Harry to see a shrink twice a week made Harry's life there completely miserable. They put him into meetings with the shrink to find the reason why Harry felt the need to steal. They had pointed out that it might have something to do with his past and had tried to get him to open up about it, but Harry wouldn't budge. He didn't like to think about that…

Emerging from his thoughts Harry took one last look around the area and walked out from behind the side of the building. He quickly took a seat at a table nearby and waited. As he looked inside the shop window on his left he saw a reflection of himself. He hadn't changed too much in juvi. He still had the same untamable, black hair and emerald green eyes. He looked a tad bit older but not by much. His face wore the expression of calm and patience he had perfected more while being at juvi. He was a few inches taller, now reining at five feet ten inches. One advantage juvi had given was that they had a workout center, which had permitted him to work out everyday for two hours. That added to all of the working he had done there, he had some well defined (but not overly done) muscles. Right now he was wearing a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt and loose fitting jeans.

Harry ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he pulled out another cigarette. He was becoming impatient now. He sat for another ten minutes before a silver Porsche Boxster pulled up to the side walk. A young man got out of the car and strutted over to Harry. He had blonde hair and stormy, blue eyes. He was a few inches taller than Harry and had about the same build as him.

The young man came to a halt right in front of him, his expression completely blank. Harry merely raised an eyebrow in question. All at once, the young man's face broke into a grin as he hugged and slapped Harry on the back.

"Bloody hell Harry, it's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too Draco… How've you been?"

"Not bad, not bad at all." Draco said smirking and looking over at his new car.

Turning back at Harry he took a step back and looked at him closely.

"Juvi wasn't too bad on you then I take it?"

"Nah, just boring is all." Harry said as he shrugged.

Draco fidgeted for a moment and seemed a bit nervous, something that was rare for Harry to see.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"About that… listen Harry…" Draco started uncertainly, not looking Harry in the eyes.

Harry merely held up his hand to stop him.

"It's ok Draco, what's done is done." Looking to changed the subject Harry asked, "So what's been happening around here while I was gone?"

Draco glanced at the couple sitting only a few tables away.

"Come on, I'll tell you everything on the way there."

Walking towards the car and sitting in the passenger seat Harry asked, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Draco replied with a grin and sped off.

--

Stopping at a red light Draco opened the glove compartment in his car and pulled out a newspaper that had been crammed in there.

"Take a look at that." Draco said tossing the paper onto Harry's lap.

Harry looked at the headline that read _'Masked robbers strike again'_.

"This you?" Harry asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"No I haven't done all that much since you were gone, just picking up a few things here and there… staying afloat. You remember Michael Corner and Zacharias Smith?"

"The two idiots that followed us around a few months back, trying to get us to teach them a few "tricks"?"

"Yeah those two. Well… after you left they seemed to think they were good enough to follow in our footsteps and have been robbing places ever since."

Laughing hard Harry finally got out, "What have them been doing?"

"Oh nothing too serious really. Stealing from vending machines, pick pocketing people. Recently though they've become a little more bold. They managed to rob a gas station not too long ago. They're a bit careless though, they let people see them…"

"Too over confident I'd say." Harry replied shaking his head.

"Tell me about it," Draco snorted a disgusted look on his face. "I heard them at Max's bar a few nights ago… they were talking pretty highly of themselves, thought they were good."

"Cocky gits… attitudes like that are what gets you caught."

Nodding his head Draco drove for another ten minutes before he pulled his car over to the side of the road and stopped.

Harry looked around. They were in a nice neighborhood on the outskirts of London. The houses varied in size but you could tell that anyone that lived inside one of these homes got a nice paycheck once a month.

Turning his attention back to Draco he asked, "What are we doing here?"

Draco just smirked.

"See that house over there?" Draco asked pointing to one of the wealthier houses in the neighborhood. It was big and old from the looks of it but it was a very nice house. It was white and covering the windows were blue shutters. Attached to the windows were flower boxes which held yellow-orange marigolds. Reddish bricks lead up to the brown wooden door in the front of the house. In the yard to the right of the house, was a big willow tree that shaded half of the lot.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"That Potter is the house I picked out for tomorrow night. In celebration of your return back to society we are going to "visit" it tomorrow night.

Nodding his head in approval Harry asked, "And what about the family that lives there?"

"Oh, they're gone for the next three days. Went on a "much needed vacation" as the father put it. No need to worry about that."

"Good," Harry said sighing and running a hand through his hair. "Now let's get out of here and find somewhere to eat."

Nodding Draco turned the car around and headed back into the heart of London.

--

Walking through the door Draco dropped his keys on the table and sprawled on the couch. Harry went into the kitchen and came back out holding two beers. Handing one to Draco, Harry sat on his favorite black leather recliner and opened his. Taking a long swig Harry signed. _'It's good to be back home'_ he thought as he took a look around.

The flat was rather large for just two people and was in decent shape. It was located in a poorer neighborhood, south of downtown London. It was simple. A kitchen and dinning room, a living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom.

As you walked in the front door it was open to the living room. Straight ahead of you is the hall leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. To the right was a door to the kitchen and inside there was also the dining room.

The living room was painted in an off-white. It had a forty inch, flat screen TV against one wall with a cream leather couch and black leather recliner about ten feet away from it. On the opposite wall were two bookcases and a large stereo that had cost them quite a lot of money. On the wall opposite the kitchen door was an expensive computer sitting on an oak desk. Next to that was a dart board. About eight feet from behind the couch was a pool table. A mini fridge filled with beer and other drinks sat next to the TV. All in all, it was a nice bachelor pad.

Both Harry and Draco were dead tired. After grabbing something to eat they had decided to go to Max's bar. Max's was a little hole in the wall place that they had found about a year ago and had made friends with the owner/barman. It was just a short drive away from where they lived. Max's was one of the main places they went to hang out at, when they didn't have dates of course. They usually took there dates clubbing, out to eat or the movies or even (if they were lucky) back to the apartment. Max's was their place to just kick back and relax. They had received quite the welcoming since Harry was back, and Max had bought them as many rounds of beer they liked… which of course they took full advantage of.

Finishing the last of his beer Harry looked at his watch, 1:26 it read. Standing up and throwing his bottle in the trash, Harry bid his friend goodnight and walked off to his room to sleep… they had a job to do tomorrow.

--

Pulling up to the sidewalk a few houses down from the one they intended to rob, Draco turned off the ignition and looked at Harry for instruction.

Harry grabbed his bag from the back seat and took out two black ski masks for them to wear. After getting caught the last time… they didn't want to take any chances that someone might see them.

Tossing one to Draco, Harry put on his own an handed Draco's bag to him.

"Now you know what to do right? We get in from the side window and head upstairs. Then we work our way down to the basement."

"Got it," Draco said with a gleeful voice. Rubbing his hands together he said, "time to get back in the game."

Quietly getting out of the car both teens slowly crept up to the side of the house. Harry managed to pry the window open with little noise and lifted it up high enough for them to crawl through. Looking around the darkened yard quickly and seeing that the coast was clear, Harry and Draco climbed in through the window.

Harry's shoes met soft carpet as he climbed through the window into what appeared to be the living room. Scanning around the room Harry saw that the family indeed had a bit of money. The carpet was a pepper color and the walls were painted a dark red. The wall to his right had the window he just crawled through and also another big one further down. It had a long, cream colored, leather couch under it. The one to his left again had the same couch against it with a small wooden table at each end. It also had a door leading into what seemed to be the dining room. The wall opposite him had a large fireplace built into it and a big rug lying near it. In the center of the room in-between the two couches was a mahogany coffee table. The walls were adorned with pictures of family and friends with a few hand drawn pictures too. Seeing that there was nothing of real significance in this room. Harry motion for Draco to follow him and searched for the upstairs.

--

Coming back into the dining room from upstairs Harry was a bit disappointed. They really hadn't found much upstairs, save for a few laptops, a diamond ring, and a heart shaped locket. The rest of the jewelry they saw was crap in they're opinion so they hadn't bothered taking it.

Turning to Draco once again, he motioned for him to follow. Creeping quickly down the stairs Harry turned the corner. They were in a wide spacious room. To the right of the basement was a couch facing a wall that had a big screen TV on it and three long, narrow windows right in a row. The windows were level with the ground outside. There was an alcove further down on the right side of the couch with a chair, bookshelves and an oak computer desk with a mirror hanging above it. A large fern sat in the corner. To the left of the basement was a hallway leading to a few bedrooms and a bathroom. The room was completely dark, save for the moonlight that came in through the windows. Nodding to Draco they both went to the left and into the bedrooms. Finding nothing worth any value they came back out into the den area and scanned the place.

Walking over into the alcove Harry opened drawers and rummaged through them trying to find anything valuable. Draco to his right, was looking through the bookshelves trying to find anything hidden. Finding a small crystal swan figurine Harry picked it up and held it to what little light was coming through the window to get a better look. It was beautiful, must have been a pretty expensive gift to have gotten. He had been holding the crystal swan in front of the mirror when something in it caught his eye. He looked up to see a pair of shining brown eyes staring at him. He dropped the crystal swan with a crash making it break into tiny pieces on the table.

They weren't alone…

--

Author's Note: Kind of a short chapter in my opinion but I had to stop there. Sorry about all of the unnecessary detail but if I didn't add it I wouldn't of had much of a chapter. I'll try not to make it that way in the future. Please tell me what you think of the story so far. I'll update after I get 4 more reviews.


	3. Warning

**Chapter Two: Warning**

Whipping around he stared in shock. Sitting on the floor against the wall were two girls. One was scared half to death by the sight of himself and Draco. She clung to the other girl like she was her life line. The only other thing he could clearly see about her was a mass of curly brown hair. The other girl with brown eyes stared at him, her long red hair catching the moonlight, her eyes filled with terror.

For a moment nobody moved. Green eyes clashed with brown. Until something bright in the girl's hands caught his eye… A cell phone. In the distance he heard the noise of sirens, getting nearer and nearer with each passing second. Quickly looking around for something heavy, Harry picked up a chair sitting nearby and hit one of the windows with as much force as he could muster. The noise of glass shattering upon impact with the chair caused the brown haired girl to start screaming wildly.

Flinging the chair to the side he pushed Draco in front of him towards the window. Draco, getting the hint, scrambled out. Harry moved up to it and looked over towards the two girls again. The last thing he saw were a pair of bright brown eyes before he pulled himself through the window and ran as fast as his feet could carry him.

Hopping into the car, Harry turned on the ignition and slammed his foot on the gas. Heading up the street and making a sharp turn he went as fast as he could in the opposite direction of the sirens. After a good fifteen minutes and not hearing anymore sirens for a while, Harry pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the car.

Still breathing heavily and heart pounding fiercely against his chest Harry took a look at Draco. His face was pale and he too was bringing in ragged breaths. His eyes held something akin to shock as though he couldn't believe what had just happened. He was staring straight ahead of him, through the windshield.

Feeling a bout of anger rising inside of him, Harry turned towards Draco.

"What the hell happened to them being on a trip?"

Coming out of his stupor Draco looked at Harry and nearly winced at the withering glare coming from his friend… He had fucked up.

"I don't know. I mean, they… they were suppose to be gone!"

"Well they bloody well weren't were they? What the hell were you thinking Draco? Thought you were good enough to take the reins now?"

Feeling a need to defend himself Draco turned to glare at Harry.

"Hey! I could…" But Harry didn't let him finish his sentence.

"No Draco, you couldn't. You wouldn't be able to make decisions that would possibly get us caught or maybe even cost us our lives! You simply panic. You don't think ahead. You weren't careful tonight! You told me they were gone Draco. I'm not too keen on getting caught again. It's idiotic moves like this that got me thrown into juvi in the first place!"

"So that's what this is? You're blaming me for getting you chucked into juvi? If you would have just let me pull you up the damn escape we could have run and you wouldn't of have been caught!"

Harry turned away from Draco and ran a hand through his hair. An action he always did when he was nervous or stressed. The car remained silent for a minute until Harry finally spoke.

"Look," He said facing Draco, "Tonight was a mess. Just… just let me do the planning from now on alright?" A crooked grin began to form on his face. "You're too damn greedy about what could be in the house to think straight."

Draco's mouth twitched slightly as he fought off a smile.

"I guess you're right. Better left in the hands of the master then eh?"

Chuckling slightly Harry pulled the bag they had filled with their findings into his lap.

"You mind driving? I want to take a look at everything we've got in here." Harry said motioning to the bag.

"Sure." Draco replied looking quickly inside of the bag. Pulling out the two laptops they had stolen from the house he said, "Let me put these in the trunk quick, then we can be on our way." As Draco left the car, Harry jumped over to the passenger seat and opened the bag.

Rummaging around through the items they had thrown in, he decided that this had been a total bust. Not one thing in this bag would sell for very much. Shifting through it some more he finally found something worth while. The locket.

Pulling it out he ran a finger along the cool surface of it. They could probably get about three hundred dollars for the necklace. He admired the locket for a few more seconds until he noticed a small latch on the side of it. Opening it up he saw a picture of a family. A rather large one at that.

There were nine people, each varying in age. In the middle was an older couple whom he assumed were the parents. Both had warm, kind smiles on their faces. Surrounding the parents were seven people he believed were the couple's kids. Every person in the picture had red hair, although the shades differed in color slightly. Freckles adorned the faces of everyone, some having more than others.

The thing that drew his attention the most though was a girl sitting in front of her father. She was the girl he had "met" in the robbery… he could remember those eyes anywhere. She had long auburn hair, and a light layer of freckles were dotted perfectly on her face, covering her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose. She wore a friendly smile, her face alight with joy. The thing he fancied most about her though were her eyes. They held an excited, fiery spark within them.

He was so absorbed in the picture that he didn't notice Draco had returned until he heard the car door slam shut with Draco sitting beside him.

Putting the car in drive and cranking on the tunes Draco asked, "Anything good left in there?"

"No," Harry said quickly. Glancing one last time at the locket he quietly slipped it inside of his pocket, "Nothing really."

Shrugging and mentioning something about being hungry, Draco sped off into the night to return home.

--

Turning over onto his back once again, Harry stared up at the ceiling. He just couldn't sleep. Sighing he rolled over onto his side and turned on the lamp. Harry looked to make sure the door was locked and listen for any sounds within the flat that would signify that his friend was awake. After hearing total silence for a good three minutes, Harry opened the drawer to his nightstand and started pulling on a long golden chain.

Settling back into the pillows, he held the golden heart shaped locket in his hands. He played with it for a few seconds before feeling something chiseled in the back of it. Flipping the locket over Harry saw there was an engravement in slanted, looped writing that spelt the words _'Always and Forever'._

Opening the locket back up he continued to gaze at the picture of the redheaded family and of course one person in particular. She was beautiful and something about her and her family comforted him. Snuggling further into the bed Harry continued to stare at the nameless girl until his eyelids began to get heavy. Harry eventually succumbed to sleep, dreaming of the mysterious redhead, a small smile on his face.

--

"Damn, we didn't get anything good!" Draco said for the millionth time, slamming his fist on the counter.

Harry sighed and took another sip of his drink. Draco and him were sitting at the old wooden counter of Max's, their favorite bar. Draco was in the middle of another rant about what a complete waste the other night had been for them. He had more than a few beers in him which made the conversation even more painful to listen to.

The atmosphere here was dull and quiet. Max's was filled with the smell of smoke and musty air. It was a pretty simple bar. The floor was covered in a dark green carpet that looked as though it had seen better days. The walls were painted a maroon color and the paint had began peeling some time ago.

As you walked in the door to the right was a long counter with barstools sitting underneath it. There were also a couple dining tables, pool tables, and some dart boards spread out in the dimly light building.

Behind the counter, there were many ancient bottles filled with various types of alcohol from all sorts of different places. Dust was collecting on most of them, as people only drank what was popular.

"Hey…" Draco started, thinking thoughtfully. "What about that locket? It'd be a healthy chunk of money, eh?"

"Um…" Harry had to think of a lie quickly. He couldn't let Draco get a hold of it and sell it. For an unknown reason, words of illusion spewed out of his mouth. "It wasn't in the bag, I must have dropped it. Either that or it fell out when we were making our escape."

Draco nodded, completely oblivious of the lie that just came from his best friend's mouth. "Well, maybe next time will be better."

"Yeah," Harry agreed carefully, taking another sip from his drink.

As he put down his beer, a commotion was heard at the door. They both turned to see what all the ruckus was about, and discovered it was Michael Corner and Zacharias Smith being rather obnoxious. Harry simply turned and groaned, while taking another swig of beer. He thought he'd probably need it if they were to come over, but tried not to draw attention to himself. Draco though, being more than a bit drunk, made a much louder, and much more verbal comment at the sight of them.

"What in the hell are those bloody gits doing here?" Draco demanded rather loudly drawing the attention of the two boys near the door.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous Harry Potter and his sidekick Draco Malfoy."

Harry took a look at the two idiots who had walked over towards them. Zacharias Smith was a sixteen year old, tall, skinny blonde with a look of superiority plastered on his face. He wore expensive clothing to show off his wealth, which was not achieved by successful robberies which he liked everyone to believe, but from his wealthy parents.

Michael Corner was a bit shorter than Smith reigning at five feet, seven inches. He had medium length brown hair and was sixteen also. He had the stronger build of the two but not nearly as strong as Harry or Draco. He played the part of the bodyguard in their duo whereas Smith was the brains. Although neither was very smart. Michael came from a decent family and not from the streets where he wanted everyone to think. He was just another cocky kid trying to defy his parents at every turn.

Standing up from his stool, Draco kicked it aside and spat back, "Well if it isn't the slimy, pompous, prick Zacharias Smith and his lapdog Michael Corner."

Sneering at Draco, Smith opened his mouth to make a nasty retort when Michael stepped up and pushed Draco back into the counter.

"I'm nobody's lapdog Malfoy… you better watch your tongue."

Draco's face twisted in anger as he reeled back his fist to get in a good punch. Harry, not wanting to get into anything right then, stepped in between Draco and Michael.

"Knock it off Draco, let's not get into anything right now."

Draco looked at Harry then glanced back at Michael and snorted with disgust.

"They're not worth the energy." Draco picked up his stool, sat back down and returned to chugging his drink.

Harry began to turn as well when Smith finally spoke up again, "Do you always have to fight his battles Potter? Oh right, how could I have forgotten, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious boyfriend would you? Now, I'm curious as to how you got along without him while you were in juvi? Did you get off yourself or have other people help you while you were in the showers?"

Harry merely raised an eyebrow in question, looking between Michael and Zach.

"Speaking from personal experience Smith?" With that he too turned around and began to drink once again.

Shaking with rage, Smith balled his hand into a fist, looking as though he would strike Harry at any given moment. Just as he began to pull his hand back to give power to the punch, a man called out from behind the counter.

"Any trouble over there?"

All four teens looked up to see Max, the burly barman and owner of Max's, glaring at Smith and Corner. Immediately Smith lowered his fist and scowled at Harry.

Hissing under his breath so that no one but Harry could hear he said, "We'll continue this later." With that he turned on his heels and headed out the door, with Michael right in toe.

Looking towards Max, Harry nodded gratefully, "Thanks for that Max, I didn't have the patience to deal with them right now."

Chuckling, Max picked up a wet glass from the counter and began to dry it.

"Anytime Harry. I know those kids seem harmless but you better watch your back just incase, they're real idiots… who knows what they might try to pull.

Draco, nodding his head in agreement, lifted his drink to his lips and whispered, "Bloody wankers," before taking another swig.

--

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone. Sorry about the long wait… I've been having some connection problems with my internet and haven't been able to log onto the site. Thank you to those of you who reviewed, I appreciate it. It's nice to have people give some feedback. In response to a few people who had some questions about the story let me clear up some things.

**1. **Yes this is a muggle story.

**2. **Harry and Draco are both seventeen. I mentioned it in the prologue but I realize I maybe should make that more pronounced in the next chapter. In this chapter I did say Michael and Zacharias are sixteen. I know (believe?) they are really the same age as Harry in the books but I wanted Harry to be at least a year older than the two of them.

**3. **I will be adding more things to the story that you may have questions about so just hang tight, I'll get to it eventually. And if I don't eventually answer questions you have, tell me and I'll try to add it into the story.

**8 more reviews and I'll update the next chapter!**


	4. Confrontations

**Chapter Three: Confrontations**

Walking out of the bar into the darkened night, Harry wheeled around to catch a stumbling Draco.

"You really need to start controlling your liquor intake mate." Harry said, chuckling slightly as Draco swatted away something invisible in front of him.

"You know what you can do with your advice Potter?" Draco growled, pushing away from Harry, trying to stand on his own two feet.

"No I don't but I have a feeling you're going to tell me… and its not going to be very pleasant."

Throwing a disgruntled look at Harry, Draco straightened up and began walking down the alley towards the road.

"Hey! Where are you going? Our car's the other way!" Laughing he jogged up to Draco to stop him from getting too far away.

Grabbing his arm he turned Draco towards him and snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face.

"Have you finally lost it mate?" He teased, dodging a slap to the back of the head. "The car's that way…" he continued, pointing down the alley from which they came. Harry looked at the blonde haired teen in front of him and realize Draco was a bit more drunk than he had originally thought.

"Come on you dolt, lets get you home. Your going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow." With that he steered Draco around and walked a few feet before coming to an abrupt halt.

Standing a few yards in front of him was Smith and Corner, both with menacing looks on there faces. Michael was swaying a bit on the spot and was holding a half empty bottle in is hands._ 'Great'_ Harry thought looking back and forth between the two… they were both completely smashed.

Recognizing who stood in front of them, Draco straightened up immediately, a hard, blazing look on his face.

"Potter," Smith slurred walking a few steps forward, "We have some unfinished business to attend to."

Harry, realizing the possible outcomes of this meeting weren't pretty judging by the looks of the two before him and the ridged stance of his friend beside him answered back, "We've got nothing to talk about Smith… Why don't the two of you head on home?"

Ignoring Harry's comment completely Smith continued, "We've got a few matters to clear up Potter."

"And what would that be Smith?" Draco asked also taking a step forward.

"We're here to discuss the means of our territory."

"What territory?" Draco replied, glaring daggers at the opposing blonde.

"Our territory. The one you two gave up the second that idiot behind you got chucked into juvi. There will be no more robberies from the two of you around here… do you understand me? We run the show around here now boys so back down."

Not too keen on getting into a fight at the moment Harry responded, "Whatever Smith, it's all your's, see you around."

Walking past the two drunks, Harry felt a vice like grip on his arm.

"You better start watching your back from now on Potter, this is our turf now."

Straightening up, Harry turned slowly to face Smith, pulling his arm roughly out of Zach's grip.

"Is that a threat Smith?"

Looking Harry straight in the eyes, he took a step closer to him, "Just a friendly suggestion."

Shaking his head, Harry turned around and began to walk away, motioning for Draco to follow him.

They hadn't walked very far when they head a voice call out from behind them, "Hey! We're not finished with the two of you yet!"

Whipping around Draco yelled to the nearing teens, "Fuck off Smith, we don't want to waste our time dealing with your tantrums tonight." With that he turned back around and immediately collided with a garbage bin that had been leaning against the wall.

This gave the other two time to catch up to Harry and Draco. Standing in front of them once again Smith said, "You embarrassed me in there Potter, I don't like getting made fun of in front of other people"

Laughing, which irked Smith even more, Harry merely turned to help Draco up, not noticing the fist that came flying towards him.

A sharp blow connected with Harry's jaw, making him stumble back. He looked up, just in time to see another fist being swung at his face. This time, he ducked, and sweep kicked Smith, knocking his feet out from under him. Corner now decided to take action. He tried to grab Harry from behind, but the black haired teen dodged that as well.

Soon, Harry's defense turned to offense. He turned towards Corner, socking him right in the stomach, knocking the wind right out of him. He then quickly got a kick in Smith's ribs, to show him he wasn't messing around. For only a moment, the younger teen curled into a small ball, but immediately got out of it and jumped up.

Digging in his pocket quickly, he found and flipped out his pocket knife.

At this, Harry only chuckled and shook his head. This made Smith confused, but also much more angry. Harry quickly pulled Draco off the ground, and walked swiftly back to the car, signaling he was done 'discussing' things with the two of them.

--

Harry woke up to the smell of something burning in the kitchen. He immediately rose from the bed, hearing the sound of sizzling coming from somewhere in the flat. Looking thoughtful for a moment he suddenly broke out into a soft chuckle, _'Draco's cooking…' _

Normally, Draco never cooked, only on special occasions or when he knew he had done something wrong. He usually never was the sort who admitted he had made a mistake, unless he had really messed up. He didn't like dealing with drama or talking about his feelings. Draco was a tough seventeen year old. He didn't like to show his soft side too often… he didn't want to appear weak. This was something Harry never quite understood. He felt that for some strange reason Draco always had the need to prove himself and be strong. So, whenever Draco messed up on a smaller scale and knew it, he just let his actions speak for him.

Harry was usually the one who cooked because Draco couldn't cook if his life depended on it, but still he sometimes tired. Harry though was quite good at it, which is to be expected of course, having cooked for _them_ since he was tall enough to reach over the counter. Shaking his head, trying to stop his thoughts from going _there_, Harry threw on some jeans, pulled on a white t-shirt and drudged into the bathroom.

Splashing his face with some water Harry winced ever so slightly from touching his jaw. Looking up into the mirror he turned his head to the side to get a better look at it. Running his fingers over it gently, he tested the area to see how sensitive it was. It was red, swollen, and a little sore but other than that his jaw was fine… no lasting damage.

Wandering into the kitchen Harry saw Draco moving around the stove trying to work three different pans at once.

Grabbing two mugs from the cupboard, Harry filled them with coffee and sat down at the table.

"What are you making?" He asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Bacon and eggs with some toast."

Nodding his head, Harry stood up and slowly walked over towards the stove to get a better look at the food. Catching a glimpse of the items in the pans, Harry had to suppress a grin. Not one thing on that stove was edible.

Taking a few steps closer towards his friend he asked, "Do you need any…"

"No," Draco barked, turning around and pushing Harry away from the stove, "I'm cooking breakfast, so just stay out of my way."

Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Harry sat back down at his seat.

Hearing the toast pop up from the toaster Draco asked, "On second thought, you think you could get that?"

"Sure." Harry answered grabbing a plate and walking over to the toaster. Using his pointer finger and thumb, Harry reached in to pull out the toast. Grabbing it he wrenched it out of the toaster, yelping as it fell onto the plate. Cradling his burnt hand with his left one, Harry looked down at the plate and snickered. The toast was completely black. Shaking his head he grabbed the plate and put it on the table. The poor sod couldn't even make a piece of toast without burning it. But, Harry supposed, it was the thought that counts.

Five minutes later Draco set all the food onto the table and sat down to eat. Picking up his fork and knife he looked at the food.

"Bloody hell."

Laughing, Harry watched as Draco picked up all of the ashy food and threw it into the trash.

"What a bloody waste of time that was, can't even eat it." Draco grumbled.

Walking over to the fridge, Draco grabbed a bottle of milk and some cereal, preparing two bowls for himself and Harry. Setting a bowl in front of Harry, Draco sat down and began to eat his food. Digging into his food himself, Harry ate for a few minutes until he felt Draco's gaze on him. Ignoring it, Harry continued to eat for a few more minutes until the motion of Draco getting out of his seat made him look up. He watched Draco open the freezer and grab something. He walked back over to Harry and handed him a bag of frozen peas before he sat down again and continued to eat.

'_Ah,'_ Harry thought, finally putting the pieces together, _'So that's what breakfast was for.'_

Knowing that thanking Draco would only embarrass him, Harry merely put the bag against his jaw and asked, "So… what's on the agenda for today?"

--

A week had past since their confrontation with Smith and Corner at the bar.

Everything had been quiet for the most part. Harry and Draco did their daily tasks without much trouble. Currently Harry was sitting in a small restaurant on a busy street in London. The place was nothing special and didn't get a lot of attention, but the food was great.

As he ate his cheeseburger and fries, each caked with salt and drenched in grease, he fiddled with the locket he had become ever so attached to. Opening it once more, he stared at the bright eyed girl, her same joyful expression glowing back at him. He'd managed to hide the locket from Draco, and Harry still wasn't getting any further as to why he was holding onto it.

Smirking slightly to himself, he snapped the locket shut, and shoved it back in his pocket. Finishing his meal, he pulled out his wallet, threw enough money on the table to cover the bill and walked out the door. Strolling down the sidewalk, Harry looked through the windows of various shops, seeing what they had on display.

He stopped at a window to look at a new stereo. That was definitely something he would want to buy. Harry examined the buttons and the ad, looking to see if it was what he wanted, when something in the reflection of the window caught his eye.

He blinked… And then he blinked again. He couldn't believe it…

Quickly whipping around, he saw her. Her red hair swaying past her shoulders as she walked. It was her… the girl from the locket.

Forgetting entirely about the stereo he had been looking at, Harry continued to stare at the red haired girl in disbelief. She was right there, walking down the street from him, looking into various shops and stopping if she saw anything of interest.

Finally waking up he began to follow her across the street, not having any idea what he was doing. He continued to follow her for a few blocks, watching her as she went from store to store. Every time she looked back behind her, Harry ducked out of view forgetting for a moment that she had no idea who he was. He followed her up to a rather large bookstore and watched her go in. Walking up to the door himself, Harry paused before opening it.

'_This is crazy,'_ He thought shaking his head and releasing his hold on the door handle. _'What am I going to do? Follow her around all day… stalking her? Not bloody likely… I have better things to do.' _With that Harry turned around and began to walk away. But before he got even ten steps away from the door, he paused and turned around slightly. Shaking his head once again, he continued to walk away until he began to feel drops of rain hit him.

'_Just my luck.' _Harry thought, looking down at his t-shirt. Making up his mind and figuring he had to get out of the rain, Harry jogged up to the front of the bookstore as it began to rain harder and went inside.

Looking around the store Harry realize that the place was much larger than it looked outside. Rows and rows of shelves, filled with all kinds of different books, filled the spacious room. To the left of the store were two escalators. One leading up to the second floor, the other bringing you back down to the first floor. Bookshelves filled the rest of the left side. To the right, back in the corner was a light up sign that read _STARBUCKS _in large green letters. There were a handful of places to seat yourself, ranging from a simple wooden table to a cozy couch by the fireplace. Straight ahead of himself were a few registers for people who wanted to buy some books from the store.

Walking around the first floor, Harry bought a cup of coffee and continued to look for the girl that intrigued him so much. Not finding any trace of her, Harry decided to ride up to the second floor and continue his search. Walking in and out of the rows of shelves Harry spent the next fifteen minutes looking for her but still he couldn't find her. Sighing and deciding for the tenth time that he was being utterly ridiculous, Harry began to walk over to the escalators when he paused. Looking down a few rows he saw her. She was sitting at a table, reading a book. On the chair to the right of her were a few shopping bags and on the table sat a cup of coffee. Her posture was relax as she leaned back into the chair, crossing her legs. Her left hand held up the book while her right unconsciously played with a lock of hair.

Harry walked slowly up the isle pretending to be interested in a book he pulled off the shelf. For about ten minutes he continued to sneak glances at her, while debating whether or not he should go talk to her. Not being able to make up his mind, Harry walked past her table to a bookshelf up against the wall she was facing. Standing there, fiddling with the pages of a book he picked up, Harry subtly tried to look over his shoulder to see what she was doing, only to look back and see her eyes staring straight back into his. Snapping his head back around Harry took a deep breath.

'_This is stupid, what the hell am I doing?'_ Running a hand through his unruly black hair, Harry picked up the book and shoved it back into place. Glancing at her one last time, Harry turned to leave but stopped mid-step as a voice rang out.

"Can I help you with something?"

--

**Author's Note:** Hey guys. Just checked today and saw I finally got the 8th review. Thanks to everyone who sent one in. In regards to this chapter… Like it? Hate it? What do you think? I'm halfway done with the next chapter so I should have it posted in a few days.


	5. Friends

**Chapter Four: Friends**

Harry turned around to see the red haired girl looking at him, a questioning look on her face.

"What?" Harry asked somewhat stupidly. His usually calm and collected face was now mixture of shock and embarrassment.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked again, looking at him strangely.

"Why would you think I need help with something?" Harry asked buying some time to think.

"Well, you've been eyeing me for the last ten minutes or so… is there a problem?"

Putting his hands in his pockets, a bit of a shy look on his face, Harry said, "No, no problem just, ahh…" Needing to think of a lie quick Harry blurted out, "You're in my seat."

"What?" The mysterious girl asked, a puzzled expression taking over her face.

"My seat," Harry repeated again, gesturing to the table and chair she was sitting at, "Your in my seat."

"Your seat?" The red head said and looked over the chair. Looking back up at Harry a somewhat cheeky grin adorned her face. "Well I don't see a name on it anywhere so I think its fair game."

"Well you see," Harry started, becoming a bit more confident with each word he said, "When I come in here all the time I usually sit at that exact spot, because, you know, its quiet… away from everyone else."

"Except from creepy guys spying on you." She retorted a playful look on her face.

Blushing and laughing slightly out of nerves, Harry didn't respond.

"Well," The girl said after a few seconds of silence from Harry, "If you're here all the time, why is it I've never see you here before?"

"What?"

"Well I come up here a lot to get some peace and quiet and I also work here so… why have I never see you here before?"

Scanning the room as if it would give him a good answer, Harry finally said, "I usually come here pretty late."

"Really? When's that?"

"Seven." Harry replied smoothly, a look of confidence on his face.

"Seven? Well that's very interesting, considering the fact that the store closes at six." The brown eyed girl said with a smirk, her eyes twinkling with humor.

_'Damn'_ Harry thought, knowing he was busted.

Looking down at the floor, his face bright red, Harry ran a shaky hand through his hair making it stick up in all different directions. Glancing at his still shaking hand Harry thought _'What the hell is wrong with me?'_

"So," She said her eyes still fixed on Harry, "Want to tell me what it is your really doing here?" As an afterthought she also asked, "And what's your name anyways?"

Looking back at her Harry reached out his hand to her and said, "My names Harry, Harry Potter." After a few moments of silence he asked, "What's your's?"

"Ginny." She said simply reaching out to shake his waiting hand.

"Ginny?" Harry repeated. Smiling slightly he asked, "Is there a last name that comes with that or is it just the one? Are you famous or something? Like Madonna or Prince?"

Laughing Ginny said, "Its Weasley, my names Ginny Weasley."

"Ginny Weasley," Harry said testing out the name. "Well its nice to meet you Ginny Weasley." Giving her hand a final shake, Harry stuffed his hand back into his pocket and gave her a smile.

Ginny stared at Harry with an expecting look on her face.

"What?"

"You still haven't answered my first question." She said crossing her arms in front of her and once again leaning back into her chair.

"Oh?" Harry said, nonchalantly. Continuing in a teasing manner he asked, "What was that?"

Rolling her eyes at his antics she asked once again, "What are you really doing lurking around here."

"Lurking?" Harry exclaimed, putting a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "I wasn't doing anything of the sort."

Snorting, Ginny just persisted, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for a book to buy, what else would I be doing?" Harry lied smoothly, a charming grin on his face.

"Alright, don't tell me. Now I'm busy reading my book so if you'll excuse me." With that she turned slightly in her seat facing away from Harry, picked up her book and continued to read.

Standing there with a frown for a few more seconds, Harry turned and walked away not noticing Ginny looking up from her book as she watched him walk away, a small smile on her face. Shaking her head she looked back down at her book and read from where she had left off.

--

Tapping his fingers on the wooden table, Harry took another sip of his coffee and tried to think of a brilliant idea... but nothing came. Groaning, Harry let his head fall and hit the table with a _thump_. Checking his watch he saw that it was 2:40, it had been exactly twenty minutes since he left Ginny alone, only to come down to the first floor and try to come up with a reason why he would need to talk to her again. He wasn't having much luck though.

Racking his brain for an idea, Harry suddenly straightened up in his chair, a grin beginning to form on his face. Downing the last of his coffee, Harry wiped off his mouth and marched over towards the escalators. Stepping onto the second floor, Harry quickly found Ginny still sitting at the table reading.

Walking behind her Harry said in a polite voice, "Excuse me?"

Looking up Ginny turned to see who was behind her and jokingly groaned, "What do you want now?"

"Well you said you worked here… I was wondering if you could tell me where I might find a certain book."

"I'm off the clock," Ginny stated, a fake irritated expression on her face, "Get someone else to help you."

Glancing at her face, not knowing she was joking, Harry continued, "See normally I would, but I know you work here and right now you're the only employee in my general vicinity."

Getting no answer from Ginny who had turned back around to her book he said, "When are you going to be back on the clock?"

"Not until tomorrow," Sighing in an overly exaggerated manner, Ginny turned back to look at him. "I'm trying to read and I need to finish this book by Friday for class so could you just… scamper off? I mean it was cute at first, you trying to gain my attention but now its just annoying." She paused, trying to keep a straight face, before adding, "And a little pathetic."

"Alright, alright, I'll leave you be."

With a grateful smile she simply said, "Thank you." And once again, turned back to her book.

With that Harry headed back towards the escalators with a smirk on his face.

_'Tomorrow it is then.'_

--

Coming down the stairs quickly Harry zipped up his bag and looked to Draco who had just rushed into the room.

"Get anything good?" Harry asked his eyes scanning the room once again for anything they might have missed.

"Hell yes, hit the jackpot of jewelry up in one of the bedrooms, we should get a shit load of money for it all."

Nodding his head, Harry motioned for his friend to follow him as they slid open the back window and jumped out, bags in hand. Running a few blocks down the road in the darkened night, they hopped into their waiting silver Porsche and sped off.

Pulling off his mask Draco looked towards Harry and asked, "You find anything good?"

"Yeah," Harry replied taking off his own mask and looking through his bag. "Found a nice camera, probably get about three hundred for it. Found a brand new Playstation 3, still in the box, and I grabbed a couple of laptops. There's more in here but nothing as big as those."

Grinning Draco just said, "Good, good." And continued driving.

Pulling up to the curb outside of their apartment building, Harry and Draco grabbed their bags and headed up to their flat. Unlocking the door, Draco threw his bag onto a chair, pulled out a coke and plopped down on the couch. He turned on the T.V. and started flipping through the channels while Harry picked up the two bags and brought them into his room. Coming back out, he went into the kitchen to grab something to eat. A few minutes later he came back out, holding a box of Chinese food in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. He sat down in his leather recliner and began to eat his food.

"So," Draco started, taking another gulp of his coke. "I was thinking tomorrow we could head out and go to Max's for lunch and after that go pawn some of the stuff we found tonight." Looking at his emerald eyed friend he asked, "What do you think?"

"I can't tomorrow." Harry stated, taking another bite of his food.

"You can't? What do you mean you can't? What else do you possibly have to do?"

"None of your business." Harry said calmly, a blank expression on his face. "I just have some things to do tomorrow that's all, you can do it without me, can't you?"

"Of course I can." Draco said looking back at the T.V. After a few minutes of silence Draco asked "Think you can make yourself sparse tomorrow night? I think I'll try to bring someone back here for a few hours. I should have them gone by midnight."

"Sure," Getting up and walking into the kitchen Harry yelled, "Who are you going to bring back?"

"Not sure." Draco replied idly, staring at the screen.

"Well," Harry said coming back into the living room, "If you don't find someone to bring back give me a call on my cell ok? I might as well come back earlier if no ones going to be here."

"Oh someone will be here alright," Draco replied with a grin. "If worse comes to worse and I don't meet anyone, I'll just bring Pansy back."

Making a disgusted face Harry said, "Why on earth do you ever get together with that girl? The thought of touching her…" Harry trailed off, shivering at the mental images racing through his mind.

"Because," Draco said getting up and walking over to Harry, "She's easy mate." Slapping Harry on the back, he walked into the kitchen to get some food.

Shaking his head, Harry went to his room. Pulling off his shirt and jeans he climbed into bed and settled down under the covers. Rolling over onto his side, tucking his arm under the pillow, Harry closed his eyes and thought about his meeting with the feisty red head earlier that day. Just before he drifted off he muttered the name "Ginny…" and promptly fell right to sleep.

--

Opening his eyes, Harry squinted from the massive amount of light seeping into his room. Looking around trying to find the source of the light, Harry groaned and buried his face deeper into the pillow… he forgot to shut the shades last night. Harry looked up once again to check the time. 11:53 it read. Rolling over onto his back, Harry got up and threw on his jeans that were lying on the floor. Shuffling into the living room, Harry noticed the T.V. wasn't on which usually meant Draco wasn't here. He must have wanted an early start. Laughing to himself Harry figured it was probably because Draco needed more time to find a girl and get her to agree to come home with him tonight. He probably didn't want Pansy to come over either.

Walking into the kitchen, Harry pulled out some left over pizza and sat down at the table to eat. Munching on his last piece, Harry thought about what he had to do today. Something was nagging him in the back of his mind, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what he planned on doing today. Thinking hard for the next five minutes, something finally clicked in his head. _'Ginny,'_ He thought grinning _'How could I possibly have forgotten about that?'_ Shoving the last bit of pizza into his mouth, Harry immediately got up and went into his room to find something to wear.

Coming back out into the living room, Harry looked at himself in a full length mirror they had hung up on the wall. He decided to wear a white long sleeve shirt with a black AC/DC t-shirt over it. He also wore a simple pair of loose jeans. He had tried combing his hair to tame it a bit but it was useless, his hair would always be a mess. Checking his watch, Harry figured he might as well head over to the bookstore to find Ginny.

--

Harry stepped inside the store and took a look around. The place was pretty quiet. A few people could be seen walking in and out of the rows of books, looking for something interesting to buy. Others in the store were sitting at a table or lounging on a couch, drinking coffee and reading their books. Scanning the room and not seeing her, Harry decided to head up to the top floor to take a look around.

He immediately went to "their" spot to see if she was reading again and was disappointed when he didn't see her sitting there. When Harry saw no sign of her on the second floor, he went back to the first and ordered a coffee and a muffin. Sitting down at a table that was facing the door, Harry leaned back in his chair and waited… and waited.

Three cups of coffee and another muffin later Ginny still hadn't showed up. Tapping his fingers impatiently against the hard surface of the table, Harry put his head in his hands. He was getting bored. Feeling the need to stretch his legs and do something, he got up from the table and started walking around the store. Stopping at a book that had caught his eye, Harry picked it up to read the back cover when a commotion behind him grabbed his attention. He turned around just in time to see someone tripping, the pile of boxes they had been carrying about to spill out from their hands. He was there in an instant, lifting up the other side to lessen the load for the other carrier.

"Thanks for helping me," The voice from behind the boxes said, "For a second there I thought I was going to have a major mess on my hands." The carrier shifted the boxes slightly to get a better grip.

"No problem," Harry replied a thoughtful look on his face. _'That voice sounds familiar…'_ Taking the boxes completely, Harry put them on the floor and looked up.

It was Ginny, wearing a crisp white, long sleeve button up shirt with a black vest and slacks. It was obviously her work uniform, he had seen the other employees wear the same thing. She wore her auburn hair up in a messy bun, some of which had came out and now framed her face. Pushing her hair back behind her ear, she looked up at Harry with a shocked but pleased look on her face.

"Hey stranger," She said smiling, happy to see him again, "Lucky you just happened to be here huh?"

"Yeah I guess so." He said smiling, once again beginning to get shyer around her.

"So… what are you doing here?"

He gave her a crooked grin and said, "Looking for a book."

"Really? Well I'm working now, so what book was it you wanted me to help you find yesterday?" Ginny said, a knowing look on her face.

"Ah…" Harry replied, squirming a little. "You know, I already found it."

"Well that's good to hear." She said, not really knowing what else to say.

An awkward silence filled the space around them as they both fished for something to say.

"Well I better get going, I have a lot of work to do." She gave a short wave before picking up her boxes once again and heading down the isle.

Not wanting his time with her to be over yet, Harry yelled, "Ginny!" And began to jog up to her.

Turning to the direction of his voice, Ginny stopping and waited for him to join her.

"Yes?" She said, poking her head around the boxes to see him.

"Do you… I mean would you, perhaps want to, maybe get some coffee with me downstairs?" Harry asked, his face flushing bright red with embarrassment.

Ginny looked him over. From his somewhat timid stance to the way he looked at her shyly with those piercing emerald green eyes of his, Ginny came to the conclusion that he really was quite cute.

Nodding her head slowly she said, "Sure, I actually need to take my lunch anyways. Just let me put these boxes away quick."

Wanting to help, Harry grabbed a few boxes from the top of her pile and carried them himself.

"Oh, you don't have to…" She began but was cut off by Harry.

"No its ok." He said giving her a warm smile.

After a few seconds of silence that had descended over them Harry lifted the boxes slightly in gesture, "So… where do you want these?" He asked.

Ginny stared at him a moment longer before giving him a teasing grin, "Follow me."

--

Clutching his stomach, Harry laughed loudly at a story Ginny had just told him about a customer she had had trouble with once before.

"Wow," Harry said, shaking his head slightly. "I haven't laughed that hard in a while. As a matter of fact I haven't had this much fun in a long time." He blushed slightly, accidentally letting it slip just how much he already enjoyed Ginny's company.

She smirked but taking pity on him Ginny said, "I know, I haven't either."

They look at one another for a few seconds, gazing into each others eyes until a balding middle-aged man walked up to the two of them, effectively killing the happy mood that had fallen over the pair.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The man said in a raised voice to Ginny.

"I'm taking my break." She said in a calm tone.

"Your break was over fifteen minutes ago!" He yelled pointing an accused finger at her. "You better stop slacking off and get back to work before I decide to fire you!"

With that he turned on his heels and stormed off, going into a back room, and slamming the door shut.

Harry looked towards Ginny, his eyebrows raised.

Looking back at Harry, Ginny merely shrugged, "He's an ass."

Laughing Harry stood up along with Ginny.

"Thanks for the coffee Harry," Ginny said a small smile on her face. "And as much as I would like to stay here and start telling you stories about my amazing boss, I really should get back to work."

"Right." Harry said picking up his trash from the table.

"Umm… Ginny?" Harry said hesitantly before plowing ahead, "Do you think we could maybe do this again tomorrow?"

Looking at his hopeful expression Ginny said, with a wide grin spreading across her face, "Definitely."

--

Pulling over to the curb and parking his black Opel Speedster, Harry got out of the car and headed up to his flat. After leaving the bookstore that afternoon, Harry had gone shopping for a few items he had wanted to get for a while, which included the new stereo he had seen in a display window two days ago. After that he had gone to Max's for a few hours, drank some beers and played multiple games of pool. It was now 1:34 in the morning and he was dead tired and a bit tipsy. Walking up the last flight of stairs to his apartment, Harry thought back to earlier today and smiled. Ginny was amazing, and funny as hell. Not to mention incredibly attractive. He had a blast with her today. It was so easy to be around her and talk to her that for once in his life he had let his guard down and actually had fun.

Reaching his door, Harry pulled out his keys and unlocked it. Stepping inside Harry threw his keys on the table. Just as he was about to take off his jacket, Harry heard noises coming from somewhere in the flat. Listening intently, Harry realized that the noises were coming from Draco's room. Not sure of what to do Harry merely stood in the entry way for a minute until a rather loud moan came drifting into the living room. Obviously Draco's "friend" had not left yet. Not wanting to hear this for the next few hours, Harry pulled back on his jacket and picked up his keys. The car was as good a place as any to catch some sleep.

--

Author's Note: Hey everyone. Sorry about the long wait... again, but I've got a new story in the works that I've been excited about lately. I'll get back on track with this story and update sooner. This is my longest chapter so far and I hope you weren't disappointed with the meeting between Harry and Ginny. So... what did you think of it? Review and I'll update as soon as I can, within a week this time.


	6. Fire and Ice

**Chapter Five: Fire and Ice**

Dragging himself up the last step to his apartment, Harry pulled out his keys from his pocket and opened the door. Stepping inside, he threw his jacket on the table and sighed. He was an absolute mess. His hair was disheveled, and his clothes wrinkled. It was obvious he had not had a very good night, and was incredibly agitated.

Hearing noises coming from the kitchen, he walked in the room and was repulsed by what he saw. There was Draco and Pansy. Draco was wearing a pair of long blue sweat pants while Pansy was in nothing put a t-shirt borrowed from Draco. She was sitting on the counter, with Draco standing between her legs, giggling at Draco while he sucked on her neck. Looking away in disgust, Harry composed himself and cleared his throat.

Immediately Draco stepped away from Pansy, both of them looking in Harry's direction.

"Err…" Draco started trying his best to keep himself from blushing, "Hey mate… we were just getting something to eat, we'll be back into my room pretty quick." He turned away quickly from Harry, not wanting to see the withering, glare coming from his friend.

While Harry continued to glare at Draco, Pansy had jumped off the counter and slowly walked over towards Harry.

"Hey Harry," Pansy said in what Harry assumed she thought was a sexy voice.

"Pansy." Harry said curtly, not wanting to talk to the ditzy blonde.

"Where were you last night? Draco and I didn't hear you come in."

"Clearly." Harry mumbled under his breath.

"Were you out with someone?" Pansy asked in a suspicious voice. A hard, somewhat jealous look overcoming her face.

"Yes," Harry said, trying to end the conversation, clearly irritated by the blonde standing before of him, although she remain completely oblivious to it.

"Naughty Harry," She said, giggling once again, "You know Harry, I can be naughty too." Laying her hand on his chest, she gave him a saucy grin.

Leaning down next to her ear, earning a shocked but excited look from Pansy, he said, "I'm not interested." Pulling his head back up he said, "And besides you were just with my best friend last night, or have you already forgotten about that? Do you have any decency Pansy?" Shaking his head he moved away from her, going to the fridge and grabbing the milk and some cereal.

"Get her out of here now Draco, I don't have the patience to deal with her, especially after sleeping in the car the entire night." He growled quietly to Draco.

Nodding his head, a sheepish grin appeared on his friend's face, "Sorry about that Harry." Shrugging his shoulders he turned towards Pansy.

"Get dress and leave Pansy."

"What?" Pansy asked in a confused way, "Why Dracie? We had such a great time last night."

"Yeah and now the night's over," Harry said not being able to hold his tongue, "So if you would kindly leave, it would greatly appreciated." Looking at her, Harry gave her a fake smile.

"Fine." She huffed, walking back into Draco's room to throw on her clothes. Coming back out she looked at Draco for a moment, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

"I'm leaving Draco."

Just as Draco opened his mouth to say something, Harry interrupted.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Huffing once again, Pansy turned on her heels and left the flat, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Finally." Harry sighed, sitting at the table to eat his breakfast.

Knowing better than to say anything about Harry's current mood, Draco decided it was probably best to leave the raven haired teen alone for a while. He quickly vacated the room, leaving the testy teen to brood to himself.

--

The door chimed as Harry stepped into the store. Looking around the room, he smiled when he spotted who he was looking for. Making his way through the front of the store, Harry walked up to Ginny. She was half bent over a table, her auburn hair up in another messy bun, while she tried to scrub something off one of the tables. It had been two weeks since he had officially met Ginny, and the eighth time he had gone to see her on her lunch break. They usually ate from the Starbucks in the corner of the bookstore but this time Harry brought some food from Max's for Ginny to try. She had told him she loved cheese burgers but it was hard to find really good ones. So today, Harry had brought cheeseburgers and chili cheese fries and in his opinion, Max's was the best place to get it.

Holding the bags he had in his hands up to eye level, Harry walked right up next to Ginny.

"Hungry?" He asked, shaking the bags of food a little to grab her attention.

Looking up from the table, Ginny gave Harry a dazzling smile, extremely pleased to see him once again.

"Yes!" Ginny said, immediately taking the bags from his hands and rummaging through them.

Laughing, Harry took back the bags and held them from her grasp.

"Sit down so I can take out the food and we can eat."

Giving Harry a fake pouting look which only made him laugh, Ginny complied and sat at the table, patiently waiting for Harry to serve her. Taking out the items from the bag, Harry put a cheeseburger at both ends of the little table and a basket of chili cheese fries in between them.

Needing to get something to drink for the both of them Harry said to Ginny, "Don't touch." And started walking towards the coffee counter.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ginny yelled to him, grabbing a fry the second his back was turned.

Coming back over to their table with two juices in his hands, he sat down at the table and gave Ginny her drink.

"Thanks," She said as she grabbed the drink from Harry.

As she grabbed the drink, their hands touch. Even though it was only for a split second, Harry felt a jolt of electricity running from his fingers, traveling throughout his entire body.

Smiling sheepishly, Harry said, "No problem." And picked up his burger to eat.

They ate the rest of their lunch talking about a variety of things, just trying to get to know each other. Harry marveled once again at how easy it was to talk to Ginny. She was fun to be with, and he enjoyed every minute he had to spend with her, he only hoped she felt the same way.

Taking a final gulp of her juice, Ginny leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.

"I'm completely stuffed."

Leaning back, he replied with a grunt, resting his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

They sat in silence for a minute, each just enjoying the others company until Harry lifted back up his head and stared at Ginny.

"Well?" He said continuing to stare at her.

"Well what?"

"Did you like it?"

Looking thoughtful for a moment she said, "It was alright."

"Just alright? Looked to me like you enjoyed the meal a bit more than that, with the way you attacked that burger."

Laughing, Ginny grinned and said, "Alright, alright. The meal was great! That was one of the best burgers I've ever had. And those fries…" She groaned and rested her head on the table, "You're going to make me hungry again!"

Grinning, Harry said, "I'm glad you liked it."

Looking back up at him, Ginny asked, "Where did you get the food anyways?"

"Oh, from a small bar I know of near my place called Max's. My friend and I have been going there for a few years. We know the owner pretty well, so we get most of our meals and such for free." Looking a bit shy Harry continued a bit more hesitantly, "I could take you there sometime… if you wanted to of course."

Smiling softly at him Ginny said, "I'd like that."

--

Opening the door to his flat, Harry walked inside and headed to his room. He didn't really want to talk to Draco right now. He was still a bit angry at his friend for last night. Just as he was about to open his door, Draco popped out of his room with an excited look on his face.

"Get dressed Harry, we're going out."

"No." Harry replied opening his door, walking inside and slamming it shut.

This though didn't stop Draco for long, because a second later he had opened the door and was in his room trying to talk to Harry.

"Listen, normally I would just leave you alone now because clearly you aren't in a good mood but tonight I can't do that, just hear me out."

Turning around and making a show of checking his watch Harry said, "You have one minute."

Grinning Draco looked at Harry, his blue eyes alight with excitement.

"You know that new club that was opening up downtown, Fire and Ice?"

"What about it?"

"It's opening tonight. And were going."

"You may be, but I'm not." With that he turned around and went to his drawer pulling out a pair of sweat pants to wear and a comfortable t-shirt.

"Harry, listen, we've got to go. Tonight's going to be a great night to hook up with some women! And look, to make up for last night, I'll let you have the place tonight and I'll go somewhere else."

"Not tonight Draco." Harry said, thinking about Ginny.

Walking up to Harry and looking him in the eye, Draco said, "What's with you lately mate? You've wanted to go to this place for a long time, and now you don't want to go? You've been acting strange for the past few weeks, so what the hell is up?"

Harry did not like where this conversation was headed. He didn't want Draco to know that he had been meeting Ginny lately. Harry knew Draco just wouldn't understand. The past few years they've known each other, its been pretty routine with them. Stealing, getting girls, buying cars. Harry knew Draco wouldn't understand that he actually had feelings for Ginny, and loved to be around her. And he also knew Draco would be immensely jealous. He had a tendency to get jealous whenever Harry's attention was elsewhere. And in a way, he had a right to be. Harry was the only constant Draco ever had in his life… so he lied.

"Nothing's been wrong with me lately. I've been busy… so what?" Wanting to quell Draco's curiosity he said, "Fine I'll go, but I'm not staying for long. I'm tired and don't feel up for a long night out."

Slapping his friend on the back, Draco said, "There's the Harry I know! Get ready, we should head out soon if we want to get in."

Shutting the door behind Draco, Harry closed his eyes and sighed. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

--

Walking into the expensive club, Harry looked around and was very impressed with the place. Everything was dark, and there were fast, upbeat songs blasting out of the stereo making the whole building quiver. Spot lights of all different colors streaked the black air, giving quick detail to a person's silhouette.

The place was filled to its maximum capacity, but it didn't matter too much, because they were easily let in by the bouncer who Harry had known for quite a while. He led Draco and himself to the bar. Behind the rich wooden counter there were bottles of every sort. It looked like they had every type of drink you could possibly imagine… and then some. Scanning all the bottles, they placed their order with the bartender and received their drinks a few minutes later.

Taking a swig of his beer, Harry sat down on one of the barstools.

"What are you doing Potter?"

"Sitting." Harry replied, stating the obvious.

"No, no, no, you're suppose to be out there," Draco said, pointing out at the dance floor, "Go pick up a girl. I'm sure there are plenty of hot chicks out there who would love to go home with you tonight. Now get out there."

"No Draco, I'm fine right here, really. Go find a girl yourself. You've only got a few hours to convince her to take you home with her."

Sending him a quick glare at the small insult, Draco lightly pushed Harry off his stool and nudged him towards the dance floor.

"Get out there mate, you used to love doing this sort of thing, I don't know what's really been up with you lately but this isn't you." He continued to push Harry towards the floor, against the messy haired teens protests, until Harry finally gave in.

"Alright, alright, I'm going ok? Now go find your own girl and quit worrying about me."

"Ok mate," Draco said walking off in a different direction. "See you tomorrow morning then. You've got the place to yourself tonight, make the best of it." With that Draco took off in pursuit of an attractive brunette that had just walked by him.

Standing in the middle of the dance floor, Harry really didn't feel like dancing with any of these women here, all he could think about was Ginny and how much he wanted to talk to her again. Making sure Draco was nowhere in sight, Harry walked back towards the bar at sat down. He turned to the bartender and order another drink, the first of many that he would be ordering that night.

Slamming down his sixth beer, Harry turned around in his seat and glanced at the crowd before him. Everyone here was having a great time, you could definitely say that the opening of this club was a hit. He turned back around in his seat to order another beer when someone came up and bumped into him.

Harry looked to his left and saw a very attractive women, who had to be just a few years older than him looking right back at him. She had long, shiny, black hair, wore a tight fitting top and jeans. She giggled at him and stuck out her hand.

"Sorry about that." She said giggling once again. She grabbed his hand with hers and shook it up and down.

"My name's Jennifer, what's your's?"

"Harry." He said shaking her hand in return.

"Harry," She said, smiling flirtatiously at him, "You're really hot Harry." She leaned over towards him a bit, trying to get him to glance down at her chest. Harry could tell even in his drunken state, that the women was completely smashed.

"I am pretty handsome aren't I?" He said trying to look at himself from his beer bottle.

"Yes you are." She whispered in his ear, running a hand through his hair.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of her hand running through his hair, her hot breath hitting his neck. He moved to adjust his pants a little, they were becoming a bit tight on him. Turning in his seat slightly, ready to pull the girl to him, he stopped. An image of Ginny quickly swam through the front of his mind before it was quickly gone again. He knew he didn't really want this, this drunk idiot standing beside him now stroking his neck. He was drunk and turned on. He knew of course that there really was no reason why he couldn't be with this girl tonight. But he couldn't help but think of Ginny and he somehow thought that being with this girl would be betraying her. He knew it was absurd, they weren't even dating but that's how he felt.

He pushed the girl away from him slightly, standing up.

"I'm sorry, um, Jennifer but I can't do this."

"Why not?" She asked stepping a little closer to him, trying to put her arms around his neck.

"Because," Harry said, dodging her advances, "I just can't, I'm sorry for leading you on."

Sighing, the girl admitted defeat and gave him an odd somewhat dazed smile.

"Alright then, it was nice meet…" She was suddenly cut off by a loud booming voice coming from a few feet away.

"Jennifer!" A man yelled, walking over towards the two of them, his face red with anger. He was the same height as Harry if not slightly taller and he was a bigger build than Harry also. The man had short, brown hair and looked as if he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. He was moving quickly over towards them, his huge fists clenched together.

"What the hell is going on over here?"

"Nothing Mitch, we were just talking."

The man's face turned an even darker shade of red, if that was at all possible.

"Just talking eh? Well it sure as hell didn't look like just talking when I saw you two all over each other."

He stepped up, pushing Jennifer back slightly and got right up in Harry's face.

"Were you hitting on my girl?" The man asked, some spit flying from his mouth and hitting Harry on the face.

Harry had a calm look on his face, as he said, "On the contrary, she was the one hitting on me."

The man looked away from Harry chuckling slightly, when suddenly he reeled his arm back and socked Harry right in the face. The force of the punch knocked Harry over his stool and onto the floor. Seeing stars for a few seconds, Harry felt the man pull him up by his shirt and punched him in the stomach causing him to fall to his knees. The people surrounding them had now formed a circle around the pair, looking on as to what would happen next. Jennifer was behind Mitch pulling on his shirt, screaming at him to knock it off. The man, paying her no heed, merely shrugged her off.

Pulling Harry up once again, he pulled his arm back to get another good punch in, but this time Harry was faster. He moved quickly out of the man's grasp causing Mitch to stumble slightly as he took a swing at Harry and hit nothing but air. Harry used the man's momentary slip up to punch him in the side, right in the ribs. He then got in a quick jab to the side of the man's face, and kicked the back of his knee, making Mitch loose his balance and fall to the ground on his back. The man may have been stronger but Harry was quicker.

Harry felt warm liquid running down his face. He had smacked his head on the counter of the bar when Mitch had first hit him. Touching the liquid slightly, he looked at his fingers and saw the crimson color of blood. This enraged Harry slightly, adding to he rush of adrenaline already coursing through his body. He jumped on top of Mitch, straddling him and began throwing punch after punch at the man's face. Security had finally arrived and tried to pry Harry away from the man but anytime they pulled Harry off of Mitch he slipped from their grasp and got in another punch. Finally four men had managed to pulled Harry off Mitch and held him back as another security guard pulled up the nearly unconscious man from the ground.

"You're both are out of here, now."

Pulling Harry and Mitch towards the door, they threw them both outside. A few seconds later, Jennifer came running out. Seeing Mitch lying next to Harry, she pulled him up and dragged him off to find their car. Struggling slightly Harry got on his hands and knees. He heard the door to the club burst open as Draco came flying out. Seeing Draco, Harry sunk to the ground and immediately passed out.

--

**Author's Note: Hey readers. Sorry about the wait. My internet cut out on me again for the past week. I had to order a new box to get it back. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. What did you think of it? Review please! I'll update as soon as I can.**


	7. Jealousy

**Chapter Six: ****Jealousy **

Slowly opening his eyes, Harry squinted from the light in the room. Looking around, he realized he was back in the flat. Trying to sit up, he groaned from the throbbing pain in his head and immediately laid back down. Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened the night before and how he got here. Thinking back for a few minutes, his memory came back to him bit by bit. He had been at that club, the one Draco had convinced him to go to. He met some girl and had nearly messed around with her. A small pang of guilt hit him, thinking of what he had almost done with that girl when he had been spending more time with Ginny lately. After that, his memory got a bit hazy. He vaguely remembered someone extremely angry confronting him but after that, he couldn't recall anything else.

Gathering what little strength he had, Harry gradually sat up, leaning against the back of the leather couch. A few moments later he heard someone coming out of the kitchen. He turned to see Draco with two bowls in his hands.

"Good your awake." He exclaimed, handing a bowl to Harry.

Taking it from him, Harry looked at Draco once again.

"What the hell happened last night?"

Swallowing his food, Draco had a somewhat serious look on his face.

"You got into a fight mate." He started, taking another bite of his food. "Remember that girl you were trying to hook up with? Well apparently she had gone to the club with her boyfriend and gotten into a huge fight with him. She stalked off, got herself plastered, and hit on you."

Not feeling very hungry at the moment, Harry just sat picking at his food, waiting for Draco to continue.

"From what I was told, you to were getting along swimmingly, until her boyfriend came that is." Shaking his head, he continued in an angry voice, "The bloody git started a fight with you and got you both kicked out of the place. I came out of the club and saw you passed out on the ground, so I brought you home."

Setting his empty bowl on the table, Draco walked into the kitchen and came out carrying a bag of frozen peas.

Tossing it to Harry, he said, "You're going to need that for your eye. The damn prick got you pretty good."

Nodding gratefully, Harry put the bag to his eye, immediately feeling relieved at the sudden coolness. Going to scratch his head, Harry felt some sort of cotton covering a rather large part of his forehead.

"What happened here?" He asked, looking at Draco for some sort of explanation.

"You smashed your head on the counter when he hit you." Gesturing to the bandage, he continued, "I patched you up as good as I could but it's a pretty big gash, you might want to take a look at it yourself."

Nodding his head, Harry felt a wave of tiredness wash over him.

Yawning, Harry asked, "What time is it?"

"Four in the evening, you were out for quite a while."

Picking up Harry's uneaten food, Draco poured it into his own bowl and began to eat it.

"I'm going down to Max's for a while, you need anything before I go?"

"No," Harry said, picking up the remote, "I think I'm just going to lie down." Turning on the T.V., Harry laid back down on the couch, trying to get more comfortable.

"Alright then, see you later."

Waving half heartedly, Harry pulled on a blanket and nestled deeper into the couch. Readjusting the bag of peas, he closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.

--

Two days later Harry walked into the bookstore to meet with Ginny. Walking up to the coffee counter in the back, Harry ordered two small coffees and went to find her. Strolling along the first floor, Harry found Ginny stocking books on the shelves. Coming up to her, Harry leaned against the shelves, hiding the coffee behind his back.

"Got you something." Harry said, smirking at Ginny.

Smiling, Ginny looked up from her books at the sound of his voice. Her smile though was short lived when she took a look at his face.

"Oh my god." Ginny said, immediately standing and taking a closer look at his face.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Oh," Harry said, his face turning a shade red, "Err, I got into a bit of a fight the other night." Looking down at the ground, he didn't see the noticeable concern flash across her face.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Harry said, looking into Ginny's eyes. "Just a bruise, it'll be gone soon enough." Smiling, Harry suddenly realized how close they were standing by one another. Embarrassed by their close proximity, he took a step back and cleared his throat.

"Here." He said, handing her a coffee.

"Thanks," She said gratefully, immediately sipping from the cup.

"So," Harry started, thinking of something to say. "Ready for lunch?" he asked, gesturing to the tables on the other side of the room.

"Oh," Ginny said, an apologetic smile on her face, "I'm really sorry Harry but I can't today. I came in an hour late and I need to make up for it by working during my lunch."

"Oh, um, it's ok." Looking disappointed for a moment, Harry continued, "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

Waving goodbye, Ginny kneeled back down on the floor to continue stocking the books. Standing there a moment, Harry felt a sudden bout of courage.

"Um, Ginny?"

"Yes?" She said, looking up from the books once again.

"I was wondering… if you'd maybe want to, uh…" Harry trailed off, his face red from embarrassment.

"What is it Harry?" Ginny said trying to stifle a grin, a knowing look on her face.

Taking a deep breath, Harry finally spit out, "Would you like to go to Max's with me tonight?"

"Max's? The place you got the burgers from?"

"Yeah," Harry said, looking down at the floor once more, his foot playing with a piece of string that had come up from the carpet. "It's just, you said you really liked those burgers and well, I was thinking of going over there tonight and I thought maybe you'd like to go?"

After a few moments of silence, Harry finally looked up to see a small grin slowly forming on her face.

"I get off work around four." Ginny said, "Meet me here around then?"

"Alright." Marveling at how easy that had been Harry continued, "So, I'll see you at four?"

"It's a date." Ginny said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

His face once again turning a deep shade of red, Harry nodded and walked out of the store, not believing his luck.

--

"So, my brother walked out of the closet, with one of my mum's dresses on, wearing high heels and makeup all over his face." Giggling Ginny said, "Thank god my brothers had a camera handy, its been the ultimate blackmail for years."

Chuckling, Harry said, "Have you ever actually shown anyone that picture?"

"Oh yeah," Ginny said, taking a bite of her burger, "We showed it to a friend of mine that he likes. He wouldn't come out of his room for hours." Laughing once again at the memories, Ginny continued, "We'll never let him live that one down."

Taking a sip of his drink and leaning back in his chair Harry said, "So you have six brothers?"

"Yep."

"How old are they all?"

"Well," Ginny began, "The oldest is my brother Bill, he's twenty six, then there's Charlie, he's twenty four. Percy's twenty one, Fred and George are nineteen, and Ron's seventeen."

Whistling lightly, Harry said, "And you're the only girl?"

"Yep."

"And did you like that? Being the only girl amongst six boys."

Sighing a little, Ginny said, "It was a little hard, not just being the only girl, but being the youngest too. When I was younger, my brothers wouldn't let me join in on a lot of their games and they picked on me somewhat, like all brothers do. Well not so much Bill and Charlie, they were already fairly old when I was little so they didn't do that often. I was their little sister they had to protect. But I was always close to them, Ron especially, us only being a year apart and all. When everyone else was off at school we were best friends, did nearly everything together. As we grew up we grew out of that a bit but we're still close, all of us are."

Smiling a little she continued, "We're a tight nit family. Both my mum and dad put family first above all else. My dad never had a big one and was always a bit lonely because of that, so that's where he's coming from. And my mum… well, her brothers died when Bill was about four, so family is extremely important to her."

Taking a sip of her drink, Ginny asked, "So what about you? Tell me about your family."

Averting his eyes, Harry merely shrugged, "Family's family." Wanting to change the topic, Harry asked quickly, "You want another drink?"

"Sure." Ginny said, looking at Harry strangely. She barely got the words out of her mouth before Harry hurriedly grabbed her drink and headed back up to the bar.

'_That was weird.' _Ginny thought to herself, '_I wonder what he's hiding.'_

Coming back to their table, Harry handed Ginny her drink.

"So, you're going into your junior year right?" Harry asked, trying to get the conversation flowing again.

"Um, yeah," Ginny said, shaking her head slightly to clear it and focus on the question at hand.

"Yeah, I'm going into my junior year once school starts up again after the summer break." As an afterthought, she asked, "You'll be going into your senior year?"

"Err, no." Harry said looking a little uncomfortable, "I don't go to school anymore."

"Oh," Ginny said, a confused look on her face, "You're finished already?"

"Sort of," Harry said. He sighed lightly, running a hand through his hair. "I, err… drop out. I studied on my own and eventually got my GED."

"Why did you drop out?" She asked. The more she got to know him, the more curious she became.

"Just… dropped out." Shrugging him shoulders, Harry looked away, trying desperately to think of a way to head off where these conversations were leading to. After a few awkward moments of silence, Harry spotted something that would do the trick.

"Have you ever played pool before?"

--

"Yes!" Ginny shouted, pumping her fist in the air triumphantly.

She held out her hand to Harry, who immediately put a ten dollar bill in it.

"How'd you learn to play so well?" Harry asked, confused. He was usually very good at pool.

Laughing and shaking her head teasingly, Ginny said, "Harry, Harry, Harry. What did you expect? I have six older brothers. They taught me a thing or to over the years."

Smirking lightly, she continued, "Sorry if I bruised your ego a bit."

Sighing, Harry said, "I suppose I can forgive you."

Ginny turned to put the pool stick back in its rack, "Would it make you feel any better if I told you I beat my brothers all the time too."

Chuckling, Harry said jokingly, "No, not really."

Walking over towards Ginny to put his pool stick away also, Harry heard a voice behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

Turning around, Harry saw Draco standing near the pool table.

"Err, just hanging out."

"Thought you said you were going to be busy today?"

"I didn't say that. I told you I had plans."

Draco looked to see who was standing beside Harry and frowned.

"Who's that?" Draco asked, nodding towards Ginny.

Opening his mouth to speak, Harry was cut off when Ginny stepped forward and held out her hand.

"I'm Ginny. Harry invited me to come here for the evening and hang out. He'd told me about this place a few days ago and when he brought me one of the burgers to try, I had to come here and eat."

Draco eyed Ginny's outstretched hand and turned towards Harry.

"Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

"Sure." Harry said.

Looking at Ginny he said to her in a low voice, "I'll be right back ok?"

"That's fine." Ginny said looking back and forth between the two, "I'll just wait at our table."

Nodding his head, Harry turned and followed Draco out the door.

"What the hell is going on?" Draco said, irritation clearly written on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"You brought a girl here!" Draco yelled, pointing an accused finger at Harry.

Frowning Harry asked, "What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that?" He repeated, a dumbfounded look on his face, "You're not suppose to bring girls here."

"Since when?"

"Since forever! Ever since we started hanging out at this place, not once has either of us brought a girl here. Ever. It's, I don't know how to explain it, it's _our _place. A place the two of us go to hang out, you knew that and yet you brought her here."

"Your being ridiculous." Harry said shaking his head. "I'm going back in." Just as he was turning, Draco grabbed his arm and made Harry face him.

"You have to make her leave."

"What?"

"You have to have her go, right now. She's not suppose to be here alright? Just have her go somewhere else.

"No."

"No?"

"No Draco. I've known about Max's a hell of a lot long than you have. You have no right to tell me to leave."

"You don't have to, just make her go."

Laughing, Harry said, "Just make her leave? I came with her Draco. In fact I invited her here, so no I'm not going to make her leave."

Dragging out a long sigh, Draco tried to think of how to better explain this to Harry.

"This is a guy's place Harry… girls well they don't really fit in here."

Trying once more to turn around and head back inside, he stopped in his tracks at Draco's next question.

"Do you fancy her or something?"

Catching him off guard, Harry merely turned around, "What?"

"I said, do you fancy her or something?"

"Why… why would you think that?"

"Because you brought her here!" Draco yelled once again, an exasperated expression on his face.

"Look Draco, just because I brought a girl here, doesn't automatically mean I fancy her."

"Then why haven't you ever brought someone here before? You've dated millions of girls since I've known you Harry, so why haven't you ever brought a girl here before?"

Having enough of the conversation and Draco's pestering Harry finally tried to explain it to Draco.

"She's different. I… I don't know Draco, I like spending time with her. She isn't like all of those other idiots I've dated before." Sighing and running a hand through his hair he finally admitted, "Yes, I guess I do fancy her."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Draco smirked, an 'I knew it' look on his face.

"So…" Draco said, waiting for Harry to say something.

"So what?"

"Are you going to tell her to go?"

"No!" Harry said, for what felt like the tenth time.

"But…" Trying to think of something, Draco said, "Fine, I guess that means I can start to bring Pansy around here then right?"

Ugh, no." Harry groaned, rubbing his temples to try to rid himself of the headache he was getting.

"Well, why not? You brought that girl."

Scowling at Draco, Harry said, "First of all her name's Ginny, secondly you know I hate Pansy, and thirdly YOU don't even like Pansy!"

"So what? I guess if you're going to start bringing girls around here, I can too."

Getting extremely frustrated, Harry finally said, "Do what you want Draco. Now I have to get back inside, she's probably wondering where the hell I've gone."

With that, Harry marched back inside, leaving Draco to stand by himself, clearly unhappy about the sudden turn of events.

--

Parking the car at the bookstore, Harry turned off the ignition. He and Ginny had stayed for an hour or so after the incident with Draco. He had offered to take her home but she said she needed to pick up her car from the store. So here they sat, sitting in Harry's car, both not really knowing how to end the evening with each other. It hadn't really been a date, just an outing between two friends but unbeknownst to the other, they both fancied one another and had no idea what to do or say.

"Well," Harry began, facing Ginny, "I had a good time."

"Me too, Harry. It was fun." Looking out the window and seeing that it was getting darker by the minute, Ginny turned back to Harry.

"We'll I guess I should get going."

"Right."

"You coming here tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll come by."

"Ok." Opening the door, Ginny was just about to get out when she stopped.

Turning towards Harry, she leaned over an planted a small kiss on Harry's cheek. Pulling away, Harry could see her cheeks were tinted a shade pinker than usual.

Getting out of the car quickly, she said goodbye and slammed the door, hustling over to her car. Watching her speed away, Harry simply sat in the parking lot. Slowly he brought his hand up and touched the spot where she had kissed him. A grin began to tug at the corners of his mouth. As he turned on his car and drove home, Harry thought this had definitely been one of the best days of his life.

--

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone. I hope you liked the new chapter. I decided to post this chapter faster to make up for the long wait for the last one. **Review!! **And keep reading. I promise, the next chapter is going to be good.


	8. Discoveries

**Chapter Seven: Discoveries**

It had been two weeks since his "date" with Ginny and the incident with Draco.

Harry and Ginny were growing steadily closer with each passing day, while he and Draco still remained at odds with one another. Harry's problem with Draco was his attitude towards Ginny. He didn't even know her and yet he had been rude from the start while Ginny had been nice. And he also didn't like this jealousy streak Draco was going through at the moment. Draco hung out with other people besides Harry, so what was the big deal if Harry started hanging out with Ginny? These were all questions left unanswered because at the moment, Harry and Draco weren't even speaking. Over the past two weeks Harry had seen Draco a grand total of twelve times. Each time he was in the room with Draco, he either got completely ignored or most of the time, Draco simply left. Harry had put up with it for a while now but enough was enough. He'd let Draco know the next time he saw him to quit playing games.

Currently, Harry was once again at the bookstore to have lunch with Ginny. Things had been going very well between them lately. Harry, on multiple occasions, actually started to believe that Ginny reciprocated his feelings but he wasn't exactly sure. All he knew is that she blushed a bit more around him lately and was a tad bit shyer than usual. Their banter had also turned slightly more flirtatious than it had been before. He figured it probably had to do with the kiss she had given him. For now, he wouldn't say anything to her. He didn't want to make a fool out of himself… he had to be sure she felt the same. He knew of a way to be sure about it but he didn't know if he'd have the guts to do it.

Pulling out another book from the box, Harry raised it towards a slot on the bookshelf.

"Here?" He asked, gesturing towards the spot on the shelf.

"Yeah." Ginny said, sliding a book into its correct place, "A few more and we can go eat."

"Why are you cutting into your lunch to do this? Why not do it after?"

"Because of my boss." Ginny replied, pulling out the other five books from the box. "He's an ass remember? He told me what I needed to get done before my lunch or else he'd fire me."

"But would he really do that?" Harry asked, putting away the last two books.

"No," Ginny said, finally standing. "We don't have enough people working here as it is. Plus he knows I'm one of the more harder working employees he has, so no he wouldn't fire me."

"So why not just ignore his threats then?" Harry said, standing also.

"Because he could make my job here miserable and I happen to like it a lot." Looking around to make sure they hadn't missed any books Ginny finally turned to Harry, "Thanks for the help."

"Anytime." He replied, smiling warmly at her.

"Well… ready to eat?"

"Hell yes." Harry said. As if on queue his stomach let out a rather large growl.

Snickering lightly, Ginny grabbed Harry's arm. "Come on," She said, pulling him, "Let's get some food in you."

Walking over towards the escalators they made their way downstairs, Ginny's hand resting on his arm.

--

"We need to find somewhere nearby to start to eat." Ginny said, leaning back in her chair. "I'm getting kind of sick of this food."

"Me too." Harry replied, putting down the rest of his tuna sandwich, unable to eat anymore.

They chose to eat at the Starbucks in the shop almost everyday because Ginny got any food from there for free.

"We could scout out a place to eat at tomorrow that's relatively cheap." Harry offered, looking out the window, trying to read the signs of the shops nearby.

"Sounds good." Leaning her head back on the chair, she closed her eyes.

"Man I'm tired."

"Mm-hmm." He hummed distractedly gazing at her face with a rather dreamy expression. Staring at her for a few minutes, his courage slowly grew as if he was drawing strength from the sight of her.

"Ginny?"

"Yeah?" She said, somewhat sleepily.

"Would you…" He paused a moment, drawing in a shaky breath. Steeling himself for the possibly bad outcome he continued, "Would you like to go out with me tonight?"

That woke her up.

"What?" Ginny exclaimed, her bright brown eyes snapping open. Her face was a mixture of shock and anticipation. She wondered if she heard him correctly.

"I said," Harry repeated, a small teasing grin on his face, "Would you like to go out with me tonight?"

"Like on a date?" She asked, flabbergasted.

"Well yeah." He said, blushing lightly.

Ginny merely sat there, a dumbfounded expression on her face.

After a minute of silence Harry looked towards the floor.

"Um… You don't have to if you don't want to, I just thought…"

"Yes." She suddenly blurted out.

"Yes?"

"Yes Harry," She said beaming at him. "I'd love to go out with you tonight."

"Great." Harry exclaimed, an ecstatic look on his face.

A small awkwardness descended over the pair.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Well, what do I wear?"

"Err… I don't care. Wear whatever you want."

Rolling her eyes she said, "I mean what do I wear? Something fancier, casual, what?"

"Oh, umm, casual."

"Ok." Looking at the clock on the wall, she reluctantly stood up.

"I've got to get back to work."

"Oh ok." Harry said, also standing. "Where should I pick you up?"

"Oh!" Taking a pen from her pocket, Ginny grabbed his hand and started writing something. "Here's my address. What time are you coming to pick me up?"

"Well when do you get off work today? Four?"

"Yeah. I'll probably need a little time to get ready."

Thinking for a moment he said, "How about five thirty?"

"Alright." Ginny said nodding, "I'll see you then."

Finally letting go of Harry's hand, Ginny turned around and went back to work, glancing back at Harry one last time to see a goofy grin on his face.

--

Pulling up outside of Ginny house, Harry took a look at the home. It looked the same as when he last saw it. The most noticeable thing about it though was the window. Last time he had been here, he'd smashed the window in their basement to pieces. A pang of guilt hit him thinking of what he had been doing the last time he had been here… Remembering the way she had looked at him with such fear in her eyes. He shivered slightly. He _never_ wanted to see that look on her face ever again. His guilt was soon forgotten however, when he saw Ginny walk out of the house.

She looked amazing. The first thing he noticed were her slender tanned legs, leading up to a pair of jean shorts. She had a semi-tight dark green shirt on and her hair was up in a pony tail. She wasn't really wearing anything special but to Harry, she looked gorgeous.

Harry himself was wearing a pair of light brown khaki shorts with a simple white t-shirt.

Getting out of the car quickly he walked over to the passenger side.

"Hey." He said, slightly dazed at the sight of her. He had only seen her out of her work uniform once when they had gone to Max's and she had looked damn good then too.

"Hi." She said, blushing slightly at the attention she was receiving from him. As he was checking her out she decided to do the same. _'He's just wearing a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt but he still looks unbelievable good.'_ Coming out of her thoughts she looked at him and laughed at the dazed look on his face. "You look good Harry." She said, smirking slightly.

"Thanks." He said, his cheeks turning a little red, "So do you."

After a few more seconds of Harry merely staring at her she said, "Ready to go?"

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he grinned, "Yeah."

Opening the passenger door, he waited for her to jump in before he slammed it shut. Racing over to the driver seat he hopped inside and started the car.

"So now can you tell me where we're going?" Ginny asked.

"Wait and see."

--

Driving into a parking spot, Harry turned off the car.

"We're here." He said, turning to Ginny and smiling.

"The park?" She asked, a perplexed look on her face. "What are we doing here?"

Reaching into the back he said, "Close your eyes."

Seeing she had closed her eyes, he waved a hand in front of her face just to make sure she had them shut. Knowing that she wasn't looking he said, "Don't peek." Before turning around and grabbing a bag sitting on the back seat.

A lot of rustling was heard in the car before Harry placed something relatively heavy onto Ginny's lap.

"Ok, open them."

Opening her eyes, Ginny looked down and saw a pair of red and black rollerblades, looking as though they were brand new.

Looking back up at Harry she saw that he too had a pair but in black and silver.

"I got you a seven and a half. I figured you'd be around that size."

Nodding her head, she said, "We're going rollerblading?"

"Yeah." Harry said grinning at Ginny once again. His smile soon faded though as a worrisome thought entered his mind. "Unless… you don't want to, which is fine, we can head out to a movie or something then."

"No," Ginny said, shaking her head. "No this sounds like fun. I've just never been rollerblading on a date before."

"Me neither." He said, beginning to put on his skates, "But there's a first time for everything."

Stepping out of the car, Harry rolled over to Ginny's side and opened the door.

"All set?"

"Yeah."

Helping her out of the car, Harry took a look around. He'd been to this park many times before, playing soccer with some guys, on a few dates to get the girls in a more "giving" mood by taking a romantic stroll through the park and sometimes by himself, just to get some peace and quiet. The park was set by a small lake and was fairly wooded, with lush green grass covering every inch of the ground. There were picnic tables here and there throughout the park with some water fountains too. A restroom was a few yards off to there right. The park had many paths made all over it, some dirt paths for bikes, others cement for skating or just to walk on. There weren't too many people out there right now, just a few families grilling, some couples who were taking pleasure in spending time with their significant other and kids running around, enjoying the summer while it lasted.

Grinning he turned to Ginny, "Ready?"

"You bet." She said, grinning right back.

Taking her hand in his, Harry lead her into the park.

--

Landing in a messy heap on the grass, Ginny rolled off of Harry laughing hysterically. Clutching her stomach she sat up, tears streaming down her face.

"That was hilarious." Ginny choked out, looking over to a sopping wet Harry.

"It bloody hell wasn't." Harry grumbled but he couldn't completely keep a small smile from creeping onto his face at the sight of Ginny laughing so uproariously.

"Oh but it was." Ginny said, wiping the tears off of her face. "How did you manage to fall into the lake Harry? One minute you were skating right beside me and the next I look behind me to find you surfacing in the water."

"I tripped." He said indignantly.

"Oh my god." Ginny exclaimed sending herself into another fit of giggles.

Harry shook his head, sending water splattering onto Ginny but she didn't care, she was too wrapped up in her laughing fit to notice.

"Alright, alright." Harry said, shakily standing up. He grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her over towards the lake. "Let's see how funny it is when you go in."

Her eyes growing wide, Ginny immediately tried to pull out of Harry's strong grasp. "No way Harry. Don't you dare throw me into that lake!" She protested, panicking slightly as he managed to bring her to the edge.

"Harry Potter. I swear to god if you push me in there…" She threatened.

Chuckling, Harry made to push her in but hugged her instead, getting her wet from his drenched clothes.

Ginny shrieked, pushing away from a laughing Harry. She looked down at her clothes and saw that her entire front was completely wet.

"You git!" She said angrily but the smile on her face, made it impossible for her to seem truly upset.

"Don't like it do you." He smirked, earning himself a hard punch in the arm from Ginny.

"Ouch!" He yelped, rubbing his arm gently, "Violence is not the answer Ginny."

Jokingly, she rolled her eyes at him as she sat down on the grass, pulling him down to sit beside her.

"I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."

"Well, I'm glad I could amuse you." He said, sending a playful glare at her.

Snickering at him, she looked at his attire. "You're soaked."

"Gee I hadn't noticed." He said dryly, earning himself a light smack on the arm.

Laying down in the grass, Harry looked up at the clouds. The sky was a little darker now compared to when they had arrived. They had been at the park for nearly two hours now and he was having a blast with Ginny. And he knew by the look on her face, she was having a great time too. They both laid there for a few minutes, just resting from there skate in the park. Harry turned to Ginny as her stomach growled slightly.

"Guess I'm a little hungry." She said sheepishly, looking towards Harry.

"Oh! Bloody hell, I almost forgot." Getting up quickly he looked down at Ginny, "I'll be right back ok? I have to get something from the car."

"Sure." Ginny said, giving him a curious look, "I'll wait right here."

Nodding, Harry took off across the park and headed back towards the car.

A few minutes later Ginny sat up and saw Harry coming back carrying something in both of his hands.

As he came closer she heard him yell, "Close your eyes." Sighing over exaggeratedly Ginny did as she was told and waited.

Harry skated over towards her and took off his rollerblades. He brought the items in his hands over towards a tree a few feet away from them. After about five minutes of messing around he finally turned to Ginny and told her to open her eyes.

Harry watched as Ginny opened her eyes and took in what he had done. He had set up a small picnic for them on top of a light blue blanket he had laid down next to the tree. He had laid out a few sandwiches and chips equally on both sides of the blanket and a small bouquet of flowers was laying in the middle.

"Harry." Ginny said, getting up and walking over towards the picnic. She was at a loss for words.

"Do you like it?" He questioned, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Harry," She repeated, "This is so sweet. No ones ever done anything like this for me before, thank you." Walking towards Harry she stood on her tiptoes and gave Harry a kiss on his cheek, this time however, it was much closer towards his lips.

Blushing lightly he motioned Ginny towards one side of the blanket. "Have a seat." He said, taking his seat at the other end.

"Err, here." Harry said, handing Ginny her sandwich and her own little bag of chips. "These are your's. It's a tuna sandwich. If you don't want that I've got turkey and a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich in here too."

"No, tuna's great." She said, smiling sweetly at him.

Pulling the cooler closer towards him, he pulled out two cans of coke and handed one to Ginny.

Unwrapping his own food, Harry took a huge bit out of his turkey sandwich. God he was hungry.

"Mm…" Ginny said, licking her lips, "This is so good! Where did you get these?"

"I made them." Harry said, pleased that she liked his food.

Shocked, Ginny merely stared at Harry.

"What?" Harry asked, chuckling slightly, "Guys can cook too."

"Not the guys I know." Ginny said, grinning at him. "It's really good."

"It's only a sandwich." Harry said, embarrassed by her praises.

"But it's a damn good one. This rivals even my mum's cooking and she makes the best food I've ever had." Taking another bite and swallowing it she asked, "Where did you learn to cook?"

"Just learned over the years." Harry said, quickly taking another bite of his sandwich so he couldn't answer anymore than that.

Frowning at his rather cryptic reply, Ginny shrugged and asked, "So, have you ever…"

--

Walking back towards the car, Harry and Ginny were asking the each other random questions to get to know the other person better. They sat and talked a while after eating their food and had skated around a bit after that. It was now nine o'clock and getting dark so Harry was on his way to take Ginny home.

"Favorite movie?" Harry asked.

"Oh that's a tough one." Ginny said with an intense look of concentration on her face.

"I just don't know." She said after a few minutes of consideration. Tilting her head to the side she said, "I guess it would have to be Serendipity."

"Serendipity?" Harry asked. "Never heard of it."

"Really? John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale?"

Thinking for a moment he shook his head, "Nope never heard of it. Is it a chick flick?"

"Yeah it is." Ginny said. "Is that why you've never heard of it? Not too fond of romantic movies?"

"No some are alright." Harry said, kicking a rock in front of him, "But I don't watch them too often. It's just not up my alley."

"Well it's a great movie you should watch it sometime."

Looking at him, she said, "Ok your turn, what's your favorite movie?"

"That would have to be Shooter."

"Shooter… I've seen that one before."

"Really?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Well I do have six brothers Harry, I don't just sit around and watch "chick flicks" all the time. In fact I love action/thriller movies. My favorite would have to be Batman Begins."

"That movie's awesome!" Harry agreed. They talked about the movie for a few minutes until a voice interrupted them.

"Well Potter, fancy seeing you here."

Harry turned around to see Michael Corner walking up to himself and Ginny.

"Corner," Harry growled. He did not want this idiot to ruin his date with Ginny. And he especially didn't want Michael to say anything about Harry's hidden "hobbies". "What are you doing here without your boyfriend?" Harry mocked.

Glaring a whole through Harry's head, Michael finally turned and saw who was standing beside Harry.

"Ginny Weasley," Michael said, a surprised look on his face, "Now what are you doing out with someone like Potter here? I never pegged you as someone that would go for his type."

Before Ginny could open her mouth to ask about what he meant, Harry stepped up to Michael.

"Back off Corner," Harry said. Continuing in a low voice so that Ginny couldn't hear, "Unless you want to get your ass kicked like last time."

Michael's face changed a deeper shade of red, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists so hard. But he held himself back from punching Harry. You could tell that Michael did have some sense as to when not to mess with Harry… when he was sober at least.

"Fine Potter, I'll leave. But just you remember, you better watch your back." Glancing one last time at Ginny, Michael stalked off.

Watching him go, Harry heard Ginny's voice behind him, "What was that all about?"

"Err… I kind of hate that guy." He said turning to look at Ginny, "He hangs out at Max's and such. We've gotten into more than a few fights before." Quickly turning the question around Harry asked, "How do you know him?"

"We go to school together." She said, her eyes narrowing slightly at his silhouette in the distance, "I hate him too, he's such a bloody git. He walks around school like he owns the place, bullying and picking on people with that damn friend of his Zacharias Smith."

Looking at his disappearing figure, Harry turned to Ginny, running a hand through his hair, "Sorry about that."

"No worries." Ginny said, smiling.

"Well come on, we're almost to the car."

--

Harry turned off the ignition as he pulled into her driveway. Getting out of the car, he went to Ginny's door and opened it for her. Taking hold of her hand, he helped her out and walked up towards the front door, their fingers intertwined.

"I had a lot of fun today." Ginny started, stopping on her doorstep to look at Harry.

"Me too Ginny. I… Well I like spending time with you." He admitted, blushing a little.

Smiling at him she said, "You're so cute when you blush, you know that?" She giggled slightly when his face turned and even darker shade of red by her comment.

Taking the initiative, Ginny stepped a little closer towards Harry.

"I fancy you Harry, if you haven't figured that out by now."

A goofy smile appeared on his face, "I fancy you too Ginny."

Green eyes met brown as they both slowly leaned closer to one another. Gazing into Harry's emerald green eyes something clicked. Suddenly a picture of those eyes behind a black mask flashed through her mind. She gasped out in shock not believing what she had just thought but it was unmistakable, those eyes…

Stepping back she stared at Harry in horror.

"Ginny?" Harry asked in a worried voice, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Breathing heavily, all the color drained out of her face.

"It was you."

--

**Author's Note: **Well what do you think? Good enough cliffhanger for you or did you see it coming? Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the past couple of chapters, keep them coming! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'll post the next one as soon as I can. **Review!**


	9. Let Me Explain

**Important Note: I'm changing my author name to Twix26_._**

_Stepping back she stared at Harry in horror._

"_Ginny?" Harry asked in a worried voice, "What is it? What's wrong?"_

_Breathing heavily, all the color drained out of her face._

"_It was you."_

**Chapter Eight: Let Me Explain**

"What?" Harry asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"It was you." She whispered still staring at him, her eyes filled with fear.

"What was me?" Harry asked worriedly, taking a step towards her. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"It was you!" She shouted, her face red with anger.

"What was me? Ginny, what's going on? If I did something wrong just tell me, please."

"Wrong?" Ginny said, laughing sarcastically, "Wrong?!"

_WHACK!_

Harry gripped his stinging cheek, staring at Ginny in shock.

"Ginny…" Harry started but Ginny wasn't done yet.

"You… you bastard!" She screamed, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"You're the one who broke into my home! You're the one who stole our things and broke the window! You're the one who scared the hell out of me and my friend thinking you were going to kill us or something!"

Harry's face immediately paled. This was not good.

"Ginny, I… I don't know what you're talking about."

_POW!_

Harry stumbled back, looking at the clenched fist that just nailed him.

"Like hell you do! How could you? I trusted you! I… I went on a date with you. I nearly kissed you!" She yelled, her arms flailing.

"Ginny," Harry said thinking quickly, "I don't know who you think I am but whatever you're talking about, it… it wasn't me."

"You bloody liar." She said, having calmed down some but her eyes were still filled with fire.

"I would recognize those eyes anywhere. No one has eyes like your's Harry!" Shaking her head she continued, more to herself, "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"Ginny…" Harry started, taking a step towards her, reaching out to touch her arm.

"No!" She yelled, pushing him back. "You stay the hell away from me Potter. I obviously can't sic the police on you just by telling them you have the same eyes, but I know it was you. You stay away from me, I never want to see you again."

She backed up against the door, her hands searching and finally grasping the doorknob, her eyes not once leaving Harry's face.

Panic began to fill Harry, thinking he was going to lose her.

"Ginny wait! I can explain." He said hurriedly, taking another step towards her.

Shaking her head, she stepped into her home and quickly shut the door but not before Harry saw tears streaming down her face.

--

Trudging into his flat, Harry walked inside and immediately sat on the couch, putting his face into his hands. He had stood pounding on her door for ten minutes but Ginny refused to open it. He had finally found something in his life that was worth while… and had lost it.

Walking into the kitchen, he pulled out a twelve pack of beer from the fridge and went back to sit in the living room. Cracking one open, he guzzled it down and opened another. Leaning back into the couch he downed drink after drink, on his way to becoming completely wasted.

He looked up when he heard the front door open. Draco walked inside, accompanied by a giggling Pansy. Groaning loudly, he picked up another beer and drank it, not wanting to deal with Pansy's annoyance and Draco's games.

Draco looked up from Pansy to see Harry sitting on the couch. There were about seven cans of beer all around him and the look of absolute depression on his face.

"Pansy go home."

"What?" Pansy asked stupidly.

"I said go home." Draco replied, grabbing her jacket and thrusting it into her hands.

"But Dracie," Pansy started, clearly upset at being told to go home, "I thought we were going to have some fun tonight."

"Not tonight Pansy, now go home." He growled, looking once more at the miserable Harry on the couch.

"But, how will I get home? We took your car, remember?"

"Here." Draco said, irritated that she was still there. He put a twenty into her hands, "That should get you home."

With that Draco lightly shoved Pansy into the hall, slamming the door in her face.

Walking over to Harry, he sat on the coffee table across from him.

"What's up Harry?" Draco asked, concerned for his friend. He may have been mad at Harry for the past two weeks but he had never see Harry like this before. He was usually so collected but something had clearly happened.

Harry merely shrugged to Draco's question, picking up once again another beer and taking a large gulp.

"What's going on?" Draco asked.

"What the bloody hell do you care?" Harry slurred, looking at Draco with a scowl, "You didn't even like her."

"Like who?"

"Ginny." He said, putting his beer on the table and resting his head in his hands.

A look of annoyance passed across Draco's face, "What about her?"

"I blew it." Harry mumbled out, not looking up from his hands.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I blew it!" Harry said louder, looking at Draco. "She hates me now, she doesn't want anything to do with me."

Looking at Harry's face, he finally noticed the light bruise that was starting to form over his eye.

"Did you get into a fight with someone?" Draco asked, gesturing to Harry's eye.

"No, that was Ginny."

"She punched you?" Draco asked, half laughing half shocked. He didn't know the girl had it in her.

"Yeah," Harry said, not noticing Draco laughing at him, "She punched me when she found out."

"Found out what?"

"Who I was."

"And…? Who are you?"

Harry grabbed a beer from the table. Feeling how warm it was he put it back down. Sighing, he got up from the couch and tripped his way into the kitchen to grab a colder beer.

Turning around he faced Draco, "Remember that house we robbed a while back? Right when I got out of juvi?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Draco asked confused, not understanding what this had to do with the conversation.

"Remember that girl we saw in the basement? The one who had called the cops?"

"Yeah…" Draco said, still not catching on.

"It was her."

"Who?!" Draco asked, getting frustrated with the conversation and receiving very little answers.

"Ginny." Harry said, looking at the floor.

Baffled, Draco thought back to that night and tried to remember what the girl had looked like. A few moments later, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Bloody hell!" Draco exclaimed, looking completely stunned. "Let me get this straight." Draco said, looking at Harry, "Ginny… Ginny's the girl who was at the house when we robbed it and is the girl you've been "dating"?"

"Yeah." Harry said, walking out of the kitchen and into his room.

Astonished, Draco quickly followed Harry back into his room, watching him shift through a drawer looking for something.

"But, how in God's name did you manage to see her again?"

"By chance." Harry said, pulling on a long golden chain. "I was looking at a new stereo and saw her in the reflection of the window."

He sat down on his bed and opened the locket. Looking at the picture inside, he merely sat there staring at Ginny.

Draco sat next to him and looked at the locket also, finding Ginny in the picture.

"What's this?"

"Something we got from her house." Harry said, gazing longingly at Ginny. "I kept it because… well, I don't know. There was just something about her and I didn't want to sell it."

Draco restrained himself from rolling his eyes. Despite the fact that he may not have liked Ginny, Harry did and was hurting pretty bad.

"So… what happened?"

"She recognized me, my eyes gave it away I guess."

Worry slowly built up inside of Draco. "So she knows it was you? Damn Harry she'll go to the cops!"

Shaking his head, Harry said, "No I mean how could she? They have no evidence that it was us and the only thing she can say is that the person that robbed her house and I have the same eyes. That's hardly anything to go on."

Sighing in relief, Draco and Harry sat in compatible silence.

"So I take it she didn't react too well?"

Snorting, Harry got up and paced in his room, "Of course she didn't. She was terrified of me at first but then she got angry and nailed me, not that I blame her." He sat back down on the bed and ran a hand through his hair. "She screamed at me and told me to stay away from her. I tried to get her to hear me out but she went inside and slammed the door shut. And really what could I have said? 'Sorry that I broke into your house and not only stole your things but scared the hell out of you. But I really do fancy you. Think you could forgive me?' That would go over real well."

"Well," Draco said, "Who cares what she thinks right? I mean there are plenty of other fish in the sea. I have an idea, lets go to the club tonight and find you a girl huh?"

Harry shook his head in disappointment, "You just don't get it do you Draco." His voice picked up more passion with each word he spoke, "I liked her. I mean actually fancied her. She wasn't just some fling that I've always had. I actually enjoyed being with her and didn't just think about getting her into bed. She was… she was something else and now I lost her by not being honest with her sooner."

Draco looked at Harry like he was crazy, "Being honest with her sooner? How would that of helped? She still would have hated you for what you did, the same thing would have happened just sooner. Least you got to spend time with her before it happened."

Harry simply looked at Draco in frustration. Heaving a sigh, Harry got up and went to the kitchen to grab another beer. Sitting at the table he waited for Draco to join him before he continued, "If I would have been honest with her maybe she would have forgiven me. Yes, she would have been angry and upset but maybe… maybe she would have seen that I was sorry and would have taken it back if I could have."

"I don't understand you. This is what we do Harry, this is how we make a living. We've got enough here to last us for a few months and that's why we haven't robbed in a while but its what we do, what we've always done."

"But its wrong Draco. Stealing from people? Taking what isn't ours? I've been doing it for so long that its become second nature to me but… it's a bad thing to do. Now I realize that. And it cost me Ginny."

He let his head fall with a thump on the table while Draco looked on in mild disgust. He was acting like a love struck idiot.

"Look," Draco said, hating what he was about to say, "Why don't you just, go and try to talk to her tomorrow? You know where she works, just look for her and talk to her then. Try to get her to forgive you."

Harry slowly raised his head from off of the table. "Think it would really work?"

"It's worth a shot."

"That's not such a bad idea Draco. Thanks." Getting up from the table he slapped Draco on the back and staggered off towards his room, eager to get this disastrous night over with and to see what tomorrow would bring. He went to sleep holding onto that little ray of hope that Ginny might forgive him.

--

Harry leaned against the outside wall of the bookstore trying to collect himself. He knew that she was most likely working today and he was nervous as hell. His plan was to go inside, find Ginny and try to get her to listen to him. As to what he would say… he didn't know yet, he sort of planned on winging it. Taking a deep breath he turned and walked inside of the store.

Scanning the room he was relieved yet disappointed at the same time at not seeing her. He rode the escalators up to the second floor and looked around. He was in the back of the store looking down row after row of bookshelves when he spotted her. Sneaking up towards her quietly so she wouldn't see him, he took a closer look at her. She looked miserable. Her face was paler than usual, her hair was disheveled and there were dark circles under her eyes. He half hoped half dreaded that she was miserable due to him.

He walked up to her slowly, stopping about eight feet away.

"Ginny." He said quietly but loud enough for her to hear him.

Ginny whipped her head up and saw him standing there just a few feet away.

"Get out." She growled, glaring threateningly at him.

"Ginny just please, give me a chance to explain."

"Explain?" Ginny repeated shooting daggers at him, "Explain what? How you broke into my home? How you lied to me and made me trust you? Did you even really like me Harry or was that a lie too? Were you just trying to get close to steal something else in my home?

"What?!" Harry asked startled, "No of course not Ginny, I really do like you."

She only chuckled coldly at him.

"Ginny, please, just give me five minutes?"

"Why should I?" She said, cutting him off, "Give me one good reason why I should listen to you or believe anything you have to say. Why should I give you a chance?"

He looked at her sadly, she could tell at least by the look on his face that he was completely miserable but she had no idea if it was all just a game to him or not anymore.

"Because I'm sorry." Harry offered feebly, looking dejected.

Shaking her head, she looked at him sadly. "I wish I could believe that. But you're a thief and a liar, so how on earth could I trust you? You're not who I thought you were. You're not the cute, shy boy that I was starting to really like. I should have known it was too good to be true."

She turned to walk away flicking her hair over her shoulder, trying her hardest to seem like she didn't care and that she wasn't hurting. But Harry couldn't just let her leave like that, she had to hear him out. He raced up to her and grabbed her arm, spinning her back around to face him.

"Ginny listen to me, please. Just hear me out. I'm sorry ok? I didn't know you then, it's not my fault really. Draco picked out your house and you were suppose to be gone. Please Ginny I never wanted to hurt you, just give me a chance to explain."

Ginny's face turned redder and redder with each second that passed.

"You're sorry!" She screamed, grabbing the attention of a few customers nearby. "Sorry? Sorry? Well gee Harry that's great, you're _sorry_. Is you being sorry going to pay for the damages that you did to my house or how about the things that you stole? Well I guess because you're sorry I just _have_ to forgive you right? It just makes everything all better." She wretched her arm out of his grip, "You bloody asshole! I'm going to say this one more time so you better listen." She said, her voice getting lower and more threatening. "Stay. Away. From. Me." She looked around and grabbed a nearby cup of hot coffee, took the top off and splashed it in Harry's face. As he yelped in pain, she threw the cup at him, looking thoroughly sickened by the sight of him.

With that Harry watched her turn and walk into a room marked, 'Employees Only' and heard the lock on the door click. He stood in the middle of the isle staring at the door she had just entered. His hope was slowly fading as despair settled in its place. She hated him.

--

**Author's Note: **I seem to be saying this a lot lately but I'm really sorry for the long wait. I just didn't know what I should do for this chapter. Did you like it? Hope you did, thanks for keeping with the story. **Review** and tell me what you think!

**Important Note: I'm changing my current author name from AlbinoBlackSheep26 to Twix26. **


	10. I'm Sorry

**Chapter Nine: I'm Sorry**

Harry hadn't showered in days…

His daily routine was pretty simple. He woke up, ate, sat on the couch watching TV and drinking, ate some more, then went to sleep. And it was getting on Draco's nerves. Ever since Harry came back from talking to Ginny he was more depressed than before. Draco didn't have to ask why that was, it was fairly obvious. She rejected him… again. So his plan about having Harry meet Ginny and apologize to her hadn't gone off so well. But what did it matter? Harry didn't need her and there were plenty of other women that would be glad to be with his raven haired friend, so why the hell was he moping around for this girl? Harry was right, he just didn't get why Harry liked the girl so much. In his opinion, there was nothing special about her… she wasn't even that attractive. Draco was currently in the living room, sitting on the couch, watching a disheveled Harry down a can of coke no doubt mixed with some sort of alcohol. Struck with sudden inspiration, he shifted on the couch towards Harry.

"I've got an idea."

"That's great Draco, first time for everything." Harry said, not even glancing at Draco.

He looked at Harry in slight annoyance. Along with Harry's new stench came this charming new attitude.

Ignoring Harry's comment he continued, "You've been sitting here for what now, five days?"

"Your point?" Harry asked irritated, finally looking at Draco. He didn't need to be reminded of why he was sitting here in the first place.

"My point is that your wasting away here. So you struck out with the girl." Draco said plowing on, ignoring the glare that was sent at him, "Accept it and move on. It's been five days since you've been out of the house and I think some fresh air would do you some good. And I know exactly the place you should go."

"Where?"

"Fire and Ice." Draco exclaimed, standing up from the couch and hoisting Harry up. "Like they always say 'The best cure to a broken heart is to get laid.'"

Chuckling slightly for the first time in days Harry asked, "Yeah? And who says that?"

"Uh… it's a new thing." Draco said, nodding his head as if to convince Harry it were true.

"Well," Harry said, "There's only one flaw to your plan Draco."

"Yeah? What's that?"

He leaned in towards Draco and whispered, "I'm not going." He promptly sat back down on his chair, reaching for another can of coke.

Sighing exasperatedly, Draco stood in front of Harry, blocking the view of the TV so that Harry would listen.

"Move." Harry said shortly.

"Nope. Not until you agree to go."

"Fine." Harry said, leaning back in his chair, "Stand there all night if you'd like, I'm not going."

Harry attempted to watch TV but every time he switched angles Draco would only get in the way.

"Look," Harry said tiredly, "Get out of the way. I'm not going alright? So get over it and go yourself."

"No. It's my duty, as your friend, to help you out in your time of need so the faster you accept that you _are_ going tonight, the easier it would be."

Harry got up and stood right in front of Draco, "Leave me alone and _move._"

Crossing his arms arrogantly he said, "You know with all the complaining you're doing we could have been home by now."

With a scowl on his face, Harry picked up his coke, "Fine I'll go and watch TV in my room."

He was half way to his door when Draco said, "Oh that's ok, you know what? You don't have to go, I was just thinking I could bring Pansy back here tonight…"

"Alright, alright!" Harry yelled, turning around to face Draco. "You win, I'll go but we're driving separately. When I want to leave, I'm leaving and don't you dare say a word about it. At least I'm going."

Smiling smugly Draco said, "That's all I wanted to hear." He walked over towards his room and before entering he yelled over his shoulder, "We're leaving in ten."

Resigning himself to his fate, Harry marched into his room and threw on some close. _'Best to just get the night over with.'_ he thought.

--

Opening the door they were hit with a sudden blast of music blaring through the speakers inside. Stepping into the club Harry took a look around. The place was packed for a Thursday night. Strobe lights of every different color illuminated the dance floor. Dancer's legs were misted over by a dull fog created by machines on all sides of the room. The DJ, although barely visible, was wearing sunglasses and a hat, holding black headphones to his ears, jamming out to the music. Motioning to Draco, the two teens made their way through the sea of people to the bar.

After placing his order and receiving his drink, Harry took a long swig and sat down.

"Now Harry," Draco started, sitting next to him, "I want you to have fun tonight, okay mate? None of this moping business. Don't just sit at the bar and try to drown your sorrows with beer. Get out there and find a girl. If you don't, there'll be hell to pay." Winking at Harry, Draco stood and started to walk away. "Oh and by the way," He added turning to face Harry while walking backwards, "Try not to get into too much trouble this time?" He gave Harry one last smirk before disappearing into the crowd.

As he sat at the bar and looked around Harry thought maybe he should consider taking Draco's advice and chat up a girl. He was sick and tired of feeling miserable the past five days and wanted to feel something other than this depression that seemed to have taken a hold of him. Ordering a shot from the bar, he downed it and stood up. He missed Ginny like crazy but tonight, for at least one night, he wanted to concentrate on something other than her. Making up his mind he knocked back one last shot before making his way towards the dance floor.

--

Pulling her close, he placed his hands on her hips, feeling her grind against him. As they moved to the rhythm of the music, small beads of sweat began to form on his face. They had been dancing for a few songs now and as each song passed the more heated things got.

She turned around, circling her arms around his neck, their bodies molded together. Leaning closer, she whispered in his ear, "What to go some place a little more… private?"

The woman didn't wait for an answer before she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him along with her. They walked out of the back door of the club, into a small alley. Immediately after stepping outside, she pinned Harry to the brick wall, her lips crushing his in a bruising kiss. Her hands ran through his hair as her tongue flicked against his lips, begging for entry. He eagerly complied, opening his mouth wider to meet her tongue with his, tasting the alcohol she had had not but ten minutes before. He moved his hands up to her long, curly, blonde hair, moaning slightly as she sucked on his bottom lip. As the minutes passed, their hands began to frantically fiddle with the buttons and zippers on the others clothing.

"Ginny…" He breathed, thinking of the redhead as the blonde before him trailed kisses down his neck.

"What?" She asked dazedly, making brief eye contact before pulling him into another hungry kiss.

Harry stopped the kiss suddenly, grabbing her hands from his shirt and pulling them down.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." He said, slipping out of her reach.

"Why?" She asked, slightly offended, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Harry said shaking his head, "No you were great, its just… I can't do this."

He stepped away from her, buttoning back up his shirt. Giving her an apologetic smile, he turned and headed to the front for his car, damning Ginny Weasley for ruining this for him.

--

Swallowing a mouthful of pop, Harry tried to ignore Draco's constant nagging but it was to no avail. When Draco asked if he had scored someone last night he had told him about the woman in the alley but it hadn't amounted to anything. Big mistake. Since then Draco had been pestering him about why they hadn't done anything, while Harry just tried to ignored him. He didn't exactly want to tell Draco the reason why he hadn't gotten together with the woman was because of Ginny. Draco would only get pissed and tell Harry how much of an idiot he was and lecture him, once again, about how he didn't want a relationship with Ginny because relationships were nothing but disappointments and a waste of time. This was rich coming from him. Draco had never been in a relationship with anyone, just passing flings that would sometimes come sniffing back around. Hence him and Pansy. But if Draco didn't shut up about this topic soon, he might just crack.

"I mean, why not Harry? Was she hot? What am I saying, of course she was hot. So why didn't you nail her?!" Draco said, looking expectantly at Harry.

"Because," Harry said, fishing for something to say, "It just wasn't right. We were in the back of an alley, it would have just been a quick shag and then we would have gone our separate ways."

"And your point is?" Draco asked, shaking his head at how bizarre his friend was being, "What the hell would have been wrong with that? That's exactly what you needed Harry! A quick fuck for you to get over yourself and get you back in the game." Draco opened his mouth to continue but closed it as a thought struck him. "Oh no," He said, sitting back in his chair and giving Harry a hard look, "Don't tell me…"

"What?"

"Jesus Christ Harry!" Draco exclaimed, his voice raising slightly, "It was because of her wasn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell you do. You didn't get with that woman because of Ginny?!" Spitting her name out as if it were venom.

"Back off alright?"

"No I won't back off, you need to get over her! You tried to get her back but she said no. That's it. Over. Done with. So move on already."

"Why the hell don't you like her? Did she morally offend you in a past life or something?"

"What?" Draco said, caught off guard at the sudden questioning, "I just, I don't like her. She's a rich, stuck up brat who's with you twenty-four seven."

"You don't even know her so how could you say that? And she was nothing but nice to you back at Max's. Anyways, so I'm not over Ginny, a girl who I actually fancied mind you, after five days… sue me."

Sighing, he slumped back into his chair, "I just don't know how to get her back."

Rolling his eyes, Draco took a vicious bite out of his burger, annoyed with his friend.

Glancing out the window at the other stores, Harry did a double take. Right across the street from them was a small little shop labeled 'Forget Me Not'. Through the window he could see tons of flowers. Getting up from the table he threw down some money onto the counter and walked out the door, ignoring Draco's yells. Jogging across the street, he was at the door before Draco caught up to him.

"What are you doing?"

Merely grinning at Draco, Harry opened the door and walked inside, Draco in toe. The shop was small but very spacious. The scent of all sorts of different flowers lingered in the refreshingly cool air. The whole place was decorated with paintings of different landscapes. There were a few oak shelves lining the walls of the store which held a variety of items such as vases and small trinkets. One side of the wall held large rolls of paper and different colored ribbons for wrapping. In front of him was what looked like a very small room with glass doors. Inside were beautiful selections of roses, lilies, carnations, tulips and more for you to pick out and make your own bouquet. To his right were a few tall, glass coolers filled with beautiful pre-made bouquets placed neatly on racks to show off to the customer. Each bouquet was done professionally, with each color and type of flower blending together perfectly.

Going further into the store, Harry could see yet another room filled with only green plants and wooden shelves to hold them on. It was a cozy store, with only one person fiddling around in an attempt to make everything perfect. It was an older woman, probably in her mid thirties. She had short brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing a long flowing skirt with a white blouse. He figured this was the manager, and approached her slowly, feeling just a little embarrassed at never having done this before.

"Err, excuse me." Harry said, grabbing the attention of the woman.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, putting a hand over her heart, "You scared me. I didn't hear anyone come in." Walking over to Harry she asked, "What can I help you with?"

"Well… I was just wanting to buy some flowers."

Smiling kindly at him, she said, "Well then you've come to the right place. Did you have anything particular in mind that you'd like to buy?"

"Um, no not really. I just want something nice. Money is not a problem."

"Well," The woman started, "You're in luck. We just got a fresh batch of flowers shipped in this morning. Follow me."

Harry followed the woman into the back room filled with flowers, Draco grudgingly behind him.

"Before we pick out the flowers who would this bouquet be for?"

"Uh, well…" Harry started, a blush slowly creeping onto his face, "There for, ah…"

Catching his embarrassed expression, she smiled softly, "A girl you fancy?" At Harry's slow nod she smiled. "Well I think I've got an idea."

Ten minutes later the woman had a beautiful bouquet of flowers wrapped up for him. "Will that be all for you today?" She asked, ringing up the price.

"Not exactly. Could you possibly make thirty more of these?" Harry asked, gesturing to the bouquet.

"Thirty?" The woman asked, shocked at the amount.

"Yes."

"Okay, thirty it is then. Of course, it will take some time to get done…"

"That's fine." Harry said, and as an afterthought asked, "Do you deliver here?"

"Yes." The woman replied, "Just write where the flowers should be delivered and to whom."

After writing down the information, Harry handed her the card.

"Would you like to leave a message to the receiver or would you like to leave it anonymous?" The manager asked, looking at him.

"Oh, well could you just put 'I'm Sorry' on it? And could you possibly have them there by two o'clock?"

"Of course." She said smiling at the young man. Shaking her head slightly she sighed under her breath, "Young love." Before beginning her work.

--

Plopping down on his chair, Harry grabbed the remote and flipped through channels on the TV.

"I can't believe you spent two hundred dollars on her." Draco said, disgusted as he sat on the couch.

"If I get her back, its worth it."

Grumbling to himself, Draco leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms.

In the middle of watching their favorite TV show the doorbell rang. Wondering who it could be Harry walked to the door and looked through the peep hole. He saw a man with a clipboard standing in front of his door, bouquets of flowers all around him. Confused, Harry opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you Harry Potter?"

"Yeah I am, what are all these flowers doing here?"

"We're delivering them to you."

Groaning, Harry ran a hand through his hair, "I wanted these delivered to the girl I wrote down on the information card, not to me."

"They were delivered to her." The man stated, flipping through pages on his clipboard.

Harry's brow furrowed, "What do you mean? Then why are they here?"

"We gave them to the girl, uh, Ginny Weasley I believe her name was." Stopping on a page he continued, "Ah yes, that's right and she refused to accept them."

Bewildered Harry said, "What do you mean she refused to accept them? Did you tell her who they were from? And the message?"

"Yes, Yes." The man said, waving a hand in the air impatiently, "She was shocked and flattered when we brought in the flowers but when she found out who they were from, she immediately told us she did not want them and refused to sign for them. She looked quiet upset come to think of it. Anyways, as a part of our policy we're returning them back to you." Writing down something on a sheet, he ripped it off and handed it to Harry. "Here's your bill. Have a nice evening."

He looked down at the bill and saw the price had jumped from two hundred dollars to three hundred for extra delivery charges. Standing in the hall, thirty bouquets of flowers surrounding him, his depression slowly began to seep back inside of him. It was over.

--

**Author's Note: **Hope you liked the chapter, remember to **review! **And thanks to all of the reviews I got on the last chapter. Good ideas everyone but you'll just have to wait and see what happens.


	11. Truth

**Chapter Ten: Truth**

"_Harry!" He heard a voice shout behind him as he sat on a swing in the park. Turning his head he looked around but saw no one. Shrugging his shoulders he turned back, giving a startled yelp and falling off the swing at the sight of the person before him._

"_Oh Harry!" Pansy exclaimed, rushing over to help him up. "Are you alright Har-Bear?"_

_Completely confused Harry looked around, trying his best to shrug Pansy off who only fussed over him more._

"_Pansy get off me!" Harry yelled, slapping the young woman's hands away._

"_Harry hold still… I can kiss it all better for you." _

_His eyes widened in shock as Pansy grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down in a forceful kiss. Completely repulsed, he pushed Pansy off, while wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Harry yelled at the blonde, who only pouted and fluttered her eyelashes at him._

"_Oh Har-Bear, I think you hit your head a little harder than I thought." Despite his attempts at fleeing, Harry got pulled into Pansy's grasp once again, feeling her tongue as she forced it's way into his mouth._

_As he shoved her off of him, she let out a huff and stalked a few yards away, waiting for Harry to come after her. _

"_What's the matter Potter? Can't please your woman?"_

_Whipping his head around, he turned to see Michael Corner with his arm wrapped around Ginny's waist, keeping her close to his side._

"_Get the hell away from her!" Harry bellowed, taking a few steps towards the pair._

"_Why would I do that? She is my girlfriend after all."_

"_What?!" Harry exclaimed, disgust and confusing fighting over dominance on his face._

"_You heard him right. After you lied and betrayed me, I wanted to be with a real man. Someone who's honest and trustworthy."_

"_Corner is the furthest thing from that Ginny!" Harry said desperately, trying to get her to see reason. What the hell was going on here?_

"_I love him Harry. You had your chance and you blew it. I'd never take you back in a million years." _

"_But Ginny, I care about you!" He said, his face a mixture of sadness and despair, while his eyes held the warmth he felt for her._

"_Sorry Potter, that ship has sailed." To prove her point, she pulled Michael into a long, deep kiss._

_Staring in the utmost shock, he didn't notice Draco until he slapped Harry on the shoulder. _

"_That's alright mate, you don't need her. She's not worth your time. Now Pansy on the other hand, she's a good looking woman. I bet she's great in the sack too. You're real lucky you managed to bag a girl like her. Besides," Draco said, studying Ginny and Michael, "They make a cute couple, don't they?"_

_Stunned he watched Draco walk over to the pair, looking on as Draco joked around with Michael and talked with Ginny._

"_Harry," Pansy whispered in his ear as she rested her forehead against his back, "I know what we could do that would make you feel _so_ much better." Circling her arms around his waist she began to nibble on his ear, while her hands inched their way past his belt…_

Jolting up in bed, Harry breathed heavily, his eyes wild. He looked around, seeing that he was in his room and Pansy was thankfully not lying beside him. Letting out a long, relieved sigh, he wiped his sweaty forehead on the sleeve of his t-shirt. _'What a nightmare'_ he thought, while getting up and walking to his closet to find his clothes for the day.

While getting dressed he thought back to the previous night. Getting those flowers returned back to him made him feel as though he had been punched in the gut. He missed Ginny and thought that she would have responded positively to the flowers but he was wrong. Now he had no idea what to do. She hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. Sighing he figured maybe it was for the best. He and Ginny were obviously not meant to be and what little hope he had of getting back together with her had been crushed last night.

He came out of his room wearing a Pink Floyd t-shirt and dark blue jeans. He greeted Draco, who was sitting in the living room watching TV**. **He answered in a sort of distant manner, stuffing his face with left over Chinese food that had been in the fridge a smidge too long, and watching… Was that a soap opera? Draco could sense Harry giving him a weird look, so he quickly changed the channel. "It was… Um… The remotes broken." Smiling sheepishly, he quickly shoveled more food into his already stuffed mouth.

As he shook his head he headed into the kitchen to grab something to eat. Not feeling in the mood to cook at the moment, Harry threw a couple of pop tarts into the toaster. While he was munching on his breakfast he thought back to the dream he had this morning. The idea of Ginny being with another guy made his heart nearly break. Putting his head into his hands, Harry sat at the kitchen table for a while, merely thinking. Coming to a decision, he got up and put his dishes in the sink. Walking into the living room he made his way towards the door but paused at Draco's voice.

"Where are you going?" Draco said, with a mouthful of food, "It's eleven o'clock."

"There's something I need to do." Harry said vaguely, opening the door, "I'll be back later. Don't wait up."

--

Leaning against the car, Harry sipped his coffee. It was now one o'clock, he had been standing there for two hours. Opening his car door, he sat down figuring he could be there for a while longer yet. He looked around the area he was in trying to take his mind off of his boredom. Not many people were out today, which was strange, it being a Friday and all. He saw couples holding hands and walking down the street, happily in love and it made his heart ache slightly. He wanted that so badly with Ginny, that happiness, the closeness. He had been so close but now… He shook his head to stop his thoughts from going there, he needed to stay positive.

Bouncing his knee slightly, Harry breathed deliberately. God was he nervous. He only hoped things would go well this time, and if not… well he'd stop trying.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Harry sat in his car listening to the radio. _2:31_ the clock read. Groaning, he leaned his head back against the headrest. He closed his eyes for who knows how long until he head a car door slam. Snapping his eyes open, he looked to the silver car that had parked just a few spaces away from him. _'Finally,' _He sighed, taking one last deep breath, _'Here goes nothing'_. Jumping out of the car quickly, he jogged up to the young woman who was now walking up to the front of the store.

"Ginny." Harry said, gently touching her shoulder to gain her attention.

Turning around, her eyes narrowed at the sight of him, "Can't you take a hint Harry? What the hell do you want now? I thought sending those flowers back to you yesterday made it pretty obvious I wanted nothing to do with you."

"I know, I know." Harry said, holding up his hands in surrender, "I just needed to talk to you."

She snorted lightly, "Sorry to rain on your parade but I have nothing to say to you that I haven't already said, so if you'll excuse me I have to work."

Turning around, she headed once again for the door but was stopped as Harry jumped in front of her, blocking her way.

"Listen Ginny, give me five minutes, please." Harry asked desperately.

Shaking her head, she tried to move past him but was effectively blocked again. Sighing tiredly, she opened her most to cast a nasty comment when he spoke once more.

"Five minutes Ginny, that's all I ask. I know I don't deserve it but if you don't like what I have to say after five minutes, you can leave… and I won't bother you again, it'll be the last time you see me." He waited anxiously for her answer but after hearing nothing he asked, "_Please?_"

Ginny paused weighing her options. If she just gave him five minutes, he'd leave her alone. _'I guess I'll humor him. It'll be worth it once he leaves and I never have to see him again.'_ Sighing she nodded and walked over to a secluded bench a few paces away.

Grinning from ear to ear, Harry followed her over to the bench and sat down.

Not knowing really where to begin, he sat contemplating what he should say first when Ginny spoke.

"The clock's ticking." She said in a cool voice, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Ginny." He said facing her, a calm and serious look on his face, while inside he was a jumble of nerves. Taking a deep breath, he decided to just jump right in, "Look, I'm sorry, I messed up. Big time. I really do care about you Ginny and I'm so sorry for what I did. But you have to understand, that was the old me, you've changed me somewhat, I haven't done that since your house. I know it was wrong of me but that's… that's just how I grew up."

Looking away from her he stared intently at the ground, continuing his awkward speech. "Nothing I can say could make you forgive me, I know that. And me saying 'I'm sorry' doesn't come close to making up for what I did. But, if you just gave me a chance, you'd see that I really am the nice guy you met in the bookstore. I wasn't being fake with you Ginny, I do actually care about you. I'm just sorry I wasn't honest with you sooner about what I did."

"I promise if you take me back, I'll do whatever it takes for you to trust me. I'll never steal anything ever again. I promise. I know you're thinking 'how could I believe him?' but I guess there really is no way for you to other than to just give me a chance to show you. You bring out the best in me Ginny. Before you… I wasn't that great of a guy. But, well I don't know, being around you, its just made me see that life doesn't have to be as bad as I make it out to be. It could be better. And I think I'd be able to change… if I had you."

After a minute of silence Harry looked up to see Ginny staring at her hands, a look of absolute concentration on her face. Deciding he had better just give her time to think it over, he merely sat on the bench watching Ginny, not knowing of the war that was silently waging within her.

'You can't seriously be buying this?'

'_Well, I think he really is sorry.'_

'So you think, but you also thought he was a nice guy and look at him! He's a criminal.'

'_I know, I am looking at him. He looks sad and regretful. He made bad mistakes, but maybe he's trying to make up for them now.'_

'Let's review, shall we? He broke into your home. He stole hundreds of dollars worth of items. He scared you half to death and gave you a horrible, traumatizing experience. And you really think he's sorry?'

'_If he really wasn't sorry and all he wanted was to nail me or something, then why go through all this trouble? Why would he keep trying to explain himself? Why would he apologize over and over? Why would he waste his time to seek me out? Why would it be so important that I listen to him? And why would he have spent tons of money on those flowers for me… if he didn't care?'_

'You don't know anything about him.'

That one Ginny couldn't deny. Every time she had asked something personal about Harry, he had always been quick to change the subject.

Biting her lower lip she looked over towards Harry, who was silently watching her. His jet black hair fell messily around his head, covering his beautiful emerald green eyes. He gave her a timid smile, waiting for her response.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she faced him.

"You have to tell me everything if we're going to make this work."

"Everything?" He asked, not understanding what she was implying.

"Yes, everything. Harry, I know next to nothing about you. I don't know where you live, I don't know anything about your family, I don't know how long or why you've stolen from people. I don't know why on earth you hang out with that jerk Draco. All I know is that your favorite color is green, you like the movie Shooter, and your favorite pizza topping is pepperoni, but that's not enough to base a relationship off of. I need to know you… the real you."

Looking extremely uneasy, Harry scratched the back of his neck. "It's a long story," He said, shifting awkwardly, "And not too interesting."

"That's okay," Ginny said, making herself comfortable, "I've got all the time in the world."

"But, uh…" Harry said, fishing for a way of escape, "Don't you have to work?"

"Nope." She said simply, staring expectantly at him.

An uncomfortable look overtook his face. He'd never told anyone about his past except Draco and he only knew the basics. But, if this is what it took to get Ginny back, then he'd tell her _everything._ His face became an emotionless mask as he said, "Alright, I'll tell you."

--

**Author's Note: **lol, sorry about the cliffhanger but I just had to end it there. What did you think? I'll get the next chapter posted pretty quick so stay tuned and remember to **REVIEW!**


	12. Harry's Story Part I

_An uncomfortable look overtook his face. He'd never told anyone about his past except Draco and he only knew the basics. But, if this is what it took to get Ginny back, then he'd tell her everything. His face became an emotionless mask as he said, "Alright, I'll tell you."_

_--_

**Chapter Eleven: Harry's Story Part I**

"When I was one year old, my parents, Lily and James Potter, were killed in a car crash. In my mother's will it absolutely forbade me to go and live with her sister. But having no other living relatives, that's the only place they could put me." Harry ran a shaking hand through his hair. He did not like thinking, let alone talking about his past.

"I don't remember much of the first few years with them because I was too young or maybe because my mind blocked it out, I don't know. But what I do remember about living there was I was practically their slave. Since I was old enough to reach over the counter, I had cooked. I clean for them, vacuumed, mowed the lawn, painted the house, did the dishes, did the gardening and any other chore you could possibly imagine before the age for six."

"My relatives hated me, and that's an understatement. I was a nuisance, an unwelcome guest in there home and they did everything in their power to remind me of that every day I lived with them. My uncle, Vernon, is a huge man, he probably weighs about three hundred pounds. He's got a short temper and you never want to be around when that goes off, trust me. My aunt's name is Petunia. She's a skinny, horse like woman who's a busy body. She loves spying on the neighbors and gossip almost more than her family."

"Their son, Dudley, who's a year older than me, is almost as big as his father nowadays. I caught sight of him once at a grocery store back near where I used to live. He's a rotten, horrible person but his parents don't see it. He's unbelievably spoiled and treated like the prince they think he is." Laughing slightly Harry continued, "Oh if they only knew all the things Dudley was up to. Already by the age of thirteen, he was in a gang with about four other boys. I've gone back to Surrey a few times and have heard about them. They terrorize people in the neighborhood, beat up kids, harass girls and trash nearly every building or park they come across. He's into drugs and he smokes and drinks. How the hell he manages to keep his parents oblivious about it is beyond me. One time when I was ten, my aunt even found a stash of cocaine in his room and he convinced her it was powdered sugar from a doughnut."

"Living in their home was a nightmare that I just couldn't wake up from." Looking away from Ginny, his eyes rested on the pavement, glossing over in memory.

**--**

_Flashback_

"_Boy!" His uncle bellowed, making him cringe. He hated when his uncle yelled. _

_Walking cautiously into the living room, seven year old Harry Potter stopped a good ten feet away from him. It was best to keep his distance when his uncle was angry._

"_Is it true?" His Uncle Vernon asked in a quietly threatening voice. He was sitting in his cream colored chair, his ham like hands clutching the armrests. His aunt had her hands resting on his shoulder in a supporting fashion, while his fat cousin sat in the corner of the room, snickering slightly._

"_Is what true?" Harry asked slowly, before adding a quick "Sir." at his uncle's sharp glare._

"_Dudley here says you beat up a boy at school today."_

_Glancing quickly at Dudley, Harry saw his cousin's eyes gleaming with humor as he watched on in excitement as to what would happen next._

"_I didn't, Sir."_

_Getting up slowly from his chair, he walked menacingly over towards Harry who could only stand there, rooted to the spot by his uncle's piercing eyes._

"_So, you're calling my son a liar?"_

_Thinking quickly, he said, "No Sir, maybe he just thought it was someone who looked like me but I would never do that to someone."_

_His uncle stopped and turned to look at his son. "Dudley? You sure the boy was Harry?"_

_As his father looked at him, Dudley immediately stopped snickering and straightened up, "Yes Dad, he beat up Nick Summers, the boy a few houses down from us."_

_Before Harry could say anything in his defense, he heard his aunt gasp as all eyes turned to her. "I saw that boy walking home today, his face was covered in bruises…" Glaring at Harry, she said, "You filthy boy! How could you do something like that?" His aunt paused to take a deep breath before carrying on in a rant for a few more seconds, "I should have never answered that door and brought you into my home, after all the things we've done for you…"_

"_I didn't!" Harry yelled, and before he could stop himself continued, "Dudley's lying!"_

_He watched as his uncle fixated his beady little eyes on him, the vein in his temple pulsing wildly. Striding over to Harry he bent down and grabbed his arms in a tight, vice like grip. Shaking him violently, he yelled, "Are you calling my son a liar?"_

_Harry clamped his mouth such, knowing if he said a word he'd get into even more trouble than he was already in now. At Harry's silence he let go of his arms and took a step back, but he wasn't done yet. A sharp pain shot through Harry as his uncle backhanded him across the face, making him fall to the floor, tasting the copper tint of blood which was rapidly filling his mouth. _

_Picking Harry up by the scuff of his neck, Vernon carried him over towards the cupboard under the stairs. Unlatching the door, he threw Harry inside, ignoring the yelp of pain that came from his nephew. Slamming the door shut he said, "You'll not be getting any dinner tonight, you ungrateful little whelp." _

_With that Harry sat in his dark cupboard, hearing his uncle walk away, the laughter of his cousin drifting in from the living room._

_--_

"They beat you?" Ginny whispered, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Harry shrugged, "Only sometimes. And they never really gave me a true beating, more like a slap or two here and there. Mostly they just neglected me. As long as I did what I was told, they'd leave me alone."

Sniffing slightly, Ginny swiped at her face as a lone tear trailed down her cheek.

Waiting for Ginny to compose herself, he heard her mutter a quick apology before once again, giving him her full attention.

"Anyways, I learned at a young age that my relatives didn't like me and never would. I had to think over every word I was going to say before actually saying it, or else I'd possibly get into trouble. So my life with them was kind of quiet. I just went to school, came home to do my work and spent most of my time outside, away from the house."

"You didn't have any friends?" Ginny asked.

"Nope." Harry said, looking at her, "Dudley made me out to be some sort of a freak. Anytime an fellow student gave me any sort of positive attention at school, he was immediately jealous and thought it was his duty to put a stop to it. By example of course, he'd just done what he'd seen my uncle do to me my entire life, so I guess he figured when my uncle wasn't around to suck the fun out of my life, he'd make a fine substitute."

"Usually if it was a girl being nice to me, he'd just tease the hell out of them until they eventually stopped talking to me. But if it was a boy, well, he'd take both me and my "friend" and beat us up once school let out. Most of the time though, they'd go 'Harry hunting'. Starting after school, they'd chase me around until they caught me so they could beat me up. Usually I was quick enough to get away from them so they'd eventually get bored and go home. But other times… I wasn't so fortunate."

--

_Flashback_

_Harry heard footsteps pounding past him as he hid in the bushes near the swing set._

"_Where did he go?" He heard a squeaky voice ask._

"_I don't know," His cousin said, "Look around here, maybe we'll find him."_

_As the group of boys walked off in all different directions, Harry made sure none of them were looking before he made a mad dash up the street._

"_There he is!" He heard one boy shout a good ways away from him._

"_Get him!" He heard he cousin yell._

_Glancing over his shoulder, he saw all three boys running as fast as they could up the street, trying their hardest to reach him. Speeding around the corner of a building, he skidded to a halt and hid behind a dumpster, watching as the boys ran past. _

"_Damn Dudley," He heard the squeaky boy say, "We lost him again."_

"_He couldn't have gone far. Split up, he might be around here somewhere."_

_As they looked around, Harry stayed hidden, praying to God he wouldn't be found. As he heard footsteps coming nearer he held his breath. A good few minutes passed by as someone shuffled around the trash cans that were near the dumpster. He sat completely still as he heard the footsteps walk away. Sighing in relief he was just about to thank his lucky stars when a grinning face appeared around the corner of the dumpster._

"_Here he is!" Tommy Green yelled as he grabbed the back of Harry's shirt and pulled him into view of the others. _

_Green was the genius of the group. He was strong for a ten year old but not nearly as strong as Dudley. He had short, black hair that sat neatly atop his head and was by far the tallest of the three. Green put him in a headlock when he desperately tried to get away, as the other two came to stand in front of them. Harry squirmed for a good two minutes until his cousin's fist punched him hard in the stomach. Harry doubled over as the boys around him laughed, Green once again picking him up and holding his hands behind his back._

"_Thought you could get away from us huh freak?" His cousin said grinning. After no response from Harry, he punched him once again but this time Dudley's fist collided with his cheek._

"_Let me have a go at him." The squeaky voice of Piers said, coming up beside Dudley. Piers was the… well, he didn't really have a role in the group. If one had to label him, he'd be the idiot. Plain and simple. Not the brightest bulb nor was he the strongest. On the contrary, Harry, even in his weakened state, could take him. Piers was best described as a weasel. He was little and skinny, brown hair and eyes with a pinched like look permanently etched on his face._

_One by one they took turns taking swigs at him, until he collapsed, that's when the kicking began. They hit and kicked him as if he was their personal punching bag, and in their eyes he was._

_Giving him one last good kick, Dudley and Green picked Harry up. "Time to go dumpster diving freak."_

_At Dudley's nod Piers opened the dumpster, "In you go Potter."_

_The group laughed hysterically as they threw him in, closing the lid shut._

"_Back in the trash where you belong." Green yelled, causing Piers to fall to the floor, clutching his stomach in a fit of laughter._

_Harry stayed curled up in the dumpster, hearing their laughter fade away as darkness consumed him._

_--_

He fiddled with his hands, staring up at the sky.

"So I spent nine miserable years of my life with those people, until one day, a few months after my tenth birthday, I decided I wasn't going to take it anymore."

"What did you do?" Ginny asked, staring intently at Harry.

"I left."

--

_Flashback_

_Harry quietly crept out of his cupboard, careful not to bump his bruised forearm on the desk across the small hall. He scanned the kitchen and living room before he slowly pulled out a worn duffle bag filled with a few articles of clothing. Making his way into the kitchen, he quietly opened the fridge. Zipping open the bag, he grabbed everything within reach: bread, cheese, sandwich meat, a few candy bars and juice boxes only given to Dudley, some apples from the bottom drawer of the fridge and a container filled with his aunt's homemade soup. Shutting the door carefully, he silently made his way back into the entryway of the house. _

_Harry moved over to his uncle's coat and searched the pockets. He grasped onto something tightly, checking over his shoulder to the stairs quick before pulling out his uncle's wallet. Flipping it open, he smiled slightly. His uncle forgot to pull the money out of it and bring it upstairs with him tonight. He usually did this in fear of Harry stealing his money or some other ridiculous reason. He pulled out all of the contents which made up about one hundred and twelve dollars. Stuffing the money into his pockets, Harry quickly shoved the wallet back into his uncle's coat and grabbed his bag. _

_Standing in front of the door he slowly unlocked it and opened the door as quietly as possible. It squeaked loudly and Harry cringed, standing stock still, listening hard for any noises upstairs. After a good five minutes of absolute silence, he walked outside, his hand still on the doorknob. Harry looked back inside the house, knowing this would be the last time he ever saw it. He reconsidered leaving for a split second, thinking it was dangerous what he was about to do. But it only lasted a second as events of his life here flash through his mind. His face hardening with determination, he took a deep breath and shut the door behind him._

_Harry made his way down the silent darkened street, closing this chapter of his life. _

_--_

_The roaring of the bus filled his ears as he grabbed his bag and hopped off the bench he had previously been occupying for the past two hours. He walked up to the door and stood aside as an elderly man in a brown trench coat jumped out, briskly making his way down the street. Harry lugged his bag to the door of the bus and stepped inside. He looked up at the driver and gave a short, uncomfortable smile. The driver was wearing a blue uniform with the name, 'Bruce' stitched onto the front. He had brown, shaggy hair that was covered by the bright blue cap the man wore. He also had matching brown stubble on his face, obviously he hadn't shaved in a while. He had a look on his face that just screamed boredom and his eyes held a dull, tiredness in them. Harry ran a hand through his hair nervously, scared the man would know what he was doing and take him home._

"_Where are you headed to kid?" The driver asked, looking suspiciously at Harry._

"_London." Harry said cautiously, fiddling with the zipper on his bag._

"_Your parents know you're here?"_

"_Yeah," Harry said quickly, not meeting the man's eyes, "I live at that house right over there." He continued, pointing to a house he'd never seen before a quarter of a block away, with its outside light on, "I'm headed to visit my grandparents and my parents were asleep so I figured I'd just let them sleep and call them when I get there." He rambled, glancing timidly at the man._

_Bruce looked Harry over, his eyes scanning his bruised eye, before finally resting on the large, dark, hand shaped bruise on his arm. Harry saw the man's eyes travel to his arm and immediately pulled down his long sleeved shirt, which had been bunched up at his elbows. Shrugging his shoulders, Bruce closed the bus door and gestured with his head to the back, "Take a seat."_

_Letting out a breath he hadn't know he was holding, Harry grabbed his bag and hustled to a seat a few rows back from the driver before the man could change his mind. As he looked out the window, he saw the first few rays of morning light peak through the surrounding trees and smiled. He had a feeling everything was going to turn out just fine._

--

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the abrupt end, I had to split Harry's past up into two chapter otherwise it would have been too long. So what do you think so far? Was his past interesting? Thanks for all of the reviews! I really appreciate them. I'll post the next part to **Harry's Story** in two days. Hope you liked it. **Review!**


	13. Harry's Story Part II

**Chapter Twelve: Harry's Story Part II**

"You left?" Ginny asked, stunned.

"Well yeah." Harry said, looking at her strangely, "What else should I have done?"

"But… You were only ten!" She exclaimed, her mouth hanging open.

He smiled gently at her, "I know but leaving, while hard and for a while wasn't so great, was the best thing I've ever done. And I wasn't about to stick around there just waiting for the next beat down from my cousin or slap from my uncle."

"They didn't come looking for you?"

"No," Harry laughed, "Why would they do that? They were finally rid of me, they weren't exactly going to try and get me back."

"It must have been awful, being on your own like that." She said, her eyes not once leaving Harry's face.

"Like I said, it was tough but I got some help and everything just started turning itself around… slowly."

"You got help?" Ginny asked, "From who?"

Harry's smile got a little wider as memories flooded back to him.

_--_

_Wandering through the busy streets of London, Harry easily got lost within the first few minutes. The city was huge! He'd never seen anything like it before. Large skyscrapers towered over the people, casting shadows on the surrounding streets. Taxi's sped around every corner with people scattered throughout the area. Bright lights flashed from signs of shops or advertisements. There were millions of restaurants and clothing stores on each block, along with a Star Bucks on every corner. He made his way down the bustling streets, turning every which way, not knowing what to do now. He walked around for hours, merely staring in awe at everything around him._

_He eventually drifted away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd and ventured into a quieter, more run down area of London. He traveled down many alleyways, at this point dragging his bag behind him, it having got much heavier to pull after hours of carrying it. As the day wore on, he finally stopped around dusk in a quiet, dank alley a ways away from the heart of the city. He sat down on the dirty ground and pulled his bag close to him. Pulling out some bread and meat, he munched on a sandwich he made for himself, still gazing around. _

_There were a few other people in the alley along with him. To his left an older, muscular man stepped out of his restaurant, throwing some bags of garbage in a dumpster. He also saw a woman with messy black hair walk into the alley with her golden retriever, taking it as a shortcut to the street at the other end. To his right, he saw two men leaning against the brick wall a few yards down from him, each smoking a cigarette. They were laughing with one another, enjoying their fifteen minute break from work. Looking back down at his sandwich, Harry took another bite and leaned his head back against the wall. He didn't exactly know what to do now. He never actually expected this to happen, he never even thought he'd make it out the door of his aunt's house so he'd never thoroughly planned what he'd do once he got to London._

_Heaving a sigh, he finished the last bit of his sandwich before lying his head on the bag. He was incredibly tired after his journey and needed a little rest, maybe it would clear his head and help him think of what to do next._

_--_

_Harry shivered, pulling his blanket closer to him as the crisp October air nipped at his skin. He was so cold. It had been a week since he left and all he'd done was explore the surrounding area around the alleyway which he had dubbed his home. He was starting to think maybe running away wasn't such a good idea after all. He was cold and wet, hadn't showered in days and his food supply was running low. He could be back at his aunt's right now, curled up on his mattress, snuggled under a much thicker blanket. Harry thought more than a few times about the possibility of going back but each time he did, he immediately crushed the idea. He was _not _going back to that place. He'd rather die out here, having frozen to death than return back to those… _people_. Besides, if he went back, then he'd surely be dead, his uncle would see to that. _

_Shaking, Harry sat up, huddling against his bag for warmth against the wind. Looking up, he gasped as he saw white flecks of snow, slowly drift to the ground. _'Just great' _he thought bitterly as he watched his warm breath heat the cold air_, 'I've got to get somewhere warm.' _Making up his mind, he wrapped his blanket tightly around himself before grabbing his bag. He headed towards a backdoor in the alley, where he had seen a man everyday throw out trash into the nearby dumpster. It was very late, probably around two o'clock in the morning, so he figured no one would be there. Standing outside the door, Harry fished out a paperclip from his bag and began to work on the lock. He'd gotten extremely good at picking locks, having to do so at his aunt's to get inside the house after they had locked the doors on him or to sneak out of his cupboard and grab a snack. He jiggled the paperclip around for a good three minutes before he heard the lock on the door click. Smiling triumphantly, Harry hurried into the building before quietly locking the door behind him. _

_He felt around the wall for a light switch before finding one and flipping it on. He was in the back of the restaurant. There was nothing really special about the place. It was a bit old and not necessarily dirty but it wasn't sparkling clean either. The walls were painted some time ago with a shiny white that had become dull and dirty over time. Harry was standing on a dark wooden floor, which had many nicks and scratches on it after years of abuse._

_To his right was the kitchen, a few stoves and microwaves inside with a large fridge and freezer. To his left were simply boxes of what he assumed were supplies, each box as unorganized as the next. There was also a door to what looked like a small room with a few cleaning supplies in it. Bingo. Making his way to the room he dropped his bag inside and settled down beside it. Already warm, Harry smiled happily and fell into the first restful sleep he'd had in a week._

_--_

_He woke to a large banging noise, somewhere inside the building. Harry groggily sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes and yawning loudly. He looked around the room, confused to where he was. Suddenly the events of last night flashed back into his mind as his eyes widened in fear. The owner was back! He quickly scrambled up, grabbing his bag and opening the door. Seeing no one he swiftly made his way to the door, opening it as quietly as he could. Just as he was about to close the door he stopped. There sitting atop one of the boxes was a loaf of bread. He didn't have much food left. Biting his lip, Harry cast his eyes worriedly around the kitchen, before scrambling inside to grab the bread. He was so busy hurrying back outside, he hadn't noticed a large, burly man walk into the kitchen, seeing what he had just done._

_--_

_Creeping quietly back inside the building, Harry made his way to the cleaning room, dropping his bag down routinely as he headed towards the boxes, shifting around the contents inside. He grabbed a few items before walking back to his bag and sitting down. This was the sixth night in a row he had snuck in here to sleep. It was nearing the end of October and already the streets were covered in a light coating of snow. Because of this, he could no longer sleep outside due to the drop in temperature. He also had run out of food a few days ago, so he nicked a little bit of food from the restaurant each day to eat. He ate his food quietly, merely basking in the warmth of the building. Harry didn't know what he'd do or where he'd go in the long run, but for now, he'd take full advantage of this place for as long as he could. _

_--_

_The area surrounding his "home" was fairly nice. The alleys were, of course, not the nicest looking nor the most popular places but as you made your way out of the alley and into the streets the place wasn't half bad. There were restaurants and clothing stores, just not as extravagant as the ones in central London. There was also an old movie theater a few blocks from the building he was staying at. It was quieter than a lot of areas Harry had seen in his first day here but during certain times in the morning, afternoon and in the evening, it was actually quiet busy. The people were nice too which was great. They were completely different from the people he had seen and dealt with back in Surrey. There, everyone had know him as the odd boy, the freak nephew of Petunia and Vernon Dursley. He was looked down upon by most and normally people had just kept there distance. But here was different. The people were mostly friendly although you'd run into a few sour people here and there but for the most part, he liked it here. _

_Currently Harry was lugging his back through the door to his home. Usually he'd just go straight into the cleaning room, throw down his bag, rummage around for some food, then go to sleep. But the second he walked inside he was completely baffled. There was a table in the center of the room that wasn't there before, with a bag of chips and a sandwich sitting in a baggy. A can of coke sat beside the chips, along with an apple. Harry looked around curiously wondering if someone was here… but no one was. Slowly he approached the food, looking on with big eyes. He was so hungry. He'd pretty much only had bread and apples for the past week. _

_He went to the cleaning room to set his bag inside when he froze as he opened the door. There laying on the ground, was a small mattress with a heavy blanket set on top of it. All of the cleaning supplies had been moved out. Now he was confused. Harry looked around again, thinking someone had to be here. He even went to the front of the restaurant, which was more like a bar. He'd found that out a few days ago when he'd been snooping around. After searching the building thoroughly, he still couldn't find anyone. _

_Looking back at the bed something lying on the pillow caught his eye. Walking over he picked up the note resting atop it and read the scribbled sentence on the sheet of paper:_

'Be out of here at ten in the morning kid, you can come back at eleven o'clock at night, just be quiet.'

-Max

_Harry slowly sat on the bed staring at the note. So this Max… he must be the owner. And he's known about me all along. A small smile slowly spread across his boyish face. He finally had a home, a real home._

_--_

"So he took you in?"

"Well, sort of." Harry said, "He gave me a place to sleep and things to eat. As tough as he looks, Max didn't have the heart to leave a little kid out on the street. So in that sense, yes he took me in but he didn't really take me in and look after me, he just gave me the essentials and did his own thing. We didn't really talk either. We ran into each other a few times but Max and myself were a bit uncomfortable. Max because he's really not good with kids or people in general for that matter and me well, he was the first adult to ever do anything nice for me and that was kind of awkward. So for the first few years we didn't see or talk to each other much. Our err, friendship if you could call it that, didn't really start until I was a few years older and out of there."

"As to your question, about when I started stealing… Well, that started when I was about thirteen. Not counting the things I ate at Max's if you want to call that stealing. You see Ginny, I was thirteen, had no money, didn't and couldn't get a job at my age, and was growing out of the clothes I had first come in when I was ten. I needed money to get me a few things and after the first time I stole, having it be so easy, I continued. I'm not proud of it but… I did what I had to do at first, and then it sort of became a regular thing for me. As I grew up, I wanted or needed more and more things."

--

_Flashback_

_Harry walked down the street, looking at all the clothes in the display windows at the shops nearby. '_I really needed some clothes.'_ he thought as he looked down at his own. His jeans were ripped and frayed, more than a few holes could be found on them. They were also a good few inches short, showing off his socks and ankles. His shirt was also ripped and holey, with stains here and there. Even though they were Dudley's clothes at one point and were incredibly baggy, they didn't fit him anymore. He needed some new clothes. Stepping into a large puddle, Harry felt water soak his sock quickly. He needed new shoes too. He had no idea how to get them though. He couldn't get a job and he wouldn't ask Max for money, he'd done enough for him over the years. He needed a way to get some money and fast. Feeling the need to take a break from all of the walking, Harry sat down on the curb. _

_He was just thinking of ways he could get some money when he absent mindedly noticed a woman leaving her table outside of a restaurant across the street. Looking back at her table, he saw she had left her brown, leather purse, resting on the table. An idea struck Harry as the minutes past and no one retrieved the purse. He knew what he was thinking about doing was wrong but, he needed the money and the purse was just sitting there… Making up his mind, Harry stood up and strode across the street, putting his hands in his pockets, trying to act as casual as possible. _

_Walking up to the table, he smoothly glanced around to make sure no one was looking before he sat down at the table and brought the purse to him. He opened it quickly, looking around once more. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Harry checked the compartments of the purse before finding the money zipped securely in a side pocket. He swiftly took out the money and stood, making his way back across the street, tucking the cash into his back pocket. Rounding the corner, he leaned against the side of the building, pulling out the money and counting it. Thirty pounds. Not a ton but it would most certainly do. Harry stood there against the wall, his heart pounding, adrenaline coursing through his body. What he did wasn't that dangerous, but it had given him a quick thrill he'd never felt before… and he liked it. _

--

"So… that's it." Harry said, shrugging his shoulders and looking back at Ginny, "That's my story."

Silence passed between them for a few moments before she said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Harry asked, looking puzzled at Ginny, "For what?"

"For what happened to you." She said simply, "It's not fair you had to go through all of that."

Harry looked at her face, only to turn away, not wanting to see the intense look of pity directed at him.

"Look," He said, running a hand through his hair, "I didn't tell you all of this for you to pity me. You asked about my life and I told you. I don't want you to feel sorry for me. And there's no reason to be sorry," He said, sending a smile at her, "You didn't do any of it."

Nodding her head, she looked up at the store, thinking of all that he told her.

"So…" Harry started, a few minutes later, "What now?"

Ginny turned to Harry, studying his face. Ever so slowly she reached down, lacing her fingers with his. "Now," She said, looking into his eyes, "We start over. We be honest with each other. I'll give you one more chance Harry but if you blow it, that's it, I can't take you back. And you have to promise me, promise me you won't do it again. You won't steal anything ever again."

"I promise Ginny. I won't mess this up." He said, smiling widely at her.

Grinning, Ginny leaned up and kissed him firmly on the lips. She pulled back slightly, only to have Harry's lips capture hers' in a more heated kiss. After a few long kisses, they pulled apart, slightly out of breath. Smiling, he looked at her, her eyes were once more shining with that inner fire he loved so much. "I've wanted to do that for a while now."

Pleased, she said, "Me too." Before pulling him into another quick kiss.

"Harry, there's just one thing you haven't told me about yet." She said, scooting closer to him on the bench.

"What's that?" He asked slightly dazed, a somewhat goofy grin on his face.

"What about Draco? Why are you friends with him?"

"Ah." Harry said, leaning back against the bench, crossing his hands behind his head, "Well, I guess the main reason why we're friends is that we've always had each others back. Every since we met, we've always been there for one another. Something the other people in our lives never did."

--

_Flashback_

_His feet pounding against the cement echoed through the parking garage as fifteen year old Harry ran as fast as his legs could carry him to get to section D8 where his car was parked. _

"_Hold it right there!" Came a yell behind him as a somewhat chubby, balding security guard in a navy blue uniform struggled to keep up with him. "Stop! Drop what you've got and you won't get punished."_

_Harry snorted at that one, like he was going to fall for that. He suddenly stopped running and turned to the right to throw the guard off, trying to lose him in the sea of cars. He heard the guard behind him yell into his walkie for backup. Turning left to confusing the balding man even more he ran smack into another security guard. _

"_Gotcha!" The guard yelled, grabbing firmly onto Harry's shirt. He pushed Harry up against a pillar, trying but failing to handcuff the struggling teen. When the guards grip loosened as he tried to use one hand to call his fellow security men, Harry forcefully turned around, punching up under the man's chin. As the guard stumbled back, Harry raced forward and kicked him right in the groin. The guard immediately fell to his knees, his face scrunched up in pain. _

_Harry took off down the garage, rushing past cars and people. He was almost to his section when he saw two guards a ways ahead coming towards him, a guard to his left and behind him. Cursing, he took off towards the right before a hand shot out from no where, pulling him into a crouching position behind a car._

"_In here." A blonde haired teen said, quickly unlatching the trunk of his car, gesturing for the raven haired teen to jump in. Harry looked at the stranger for a few seconds wondering if he should trust him when the blonde said, "You want to get caught or not?"_

_Deciding that he really had no other choice, he hopped in, knowing that if he ran he'd just get caught anyways. The last thing he saw was the blonde stand up before he quickly closed the trunk on him._

_Lying in the back of the trunk, Harry heard footsteps coming nearer. "Don't say a word." The mysterious teen said quietly, as he leaned back against the truck of the car, crossing his arms. A second later the footsteps came to a sudden halt next to them. _

"_Did you see a black haired boy run past here?" The guard questioned looking at the teen._

"_Yes, Sir." The teen said straightening up, "I saw him duck down over there and run towards the ramp." _

_Nodding to him the guard clicked his walkie and said, "He's headed down to the second floor." Fastening his walkie back to his shoulder, he took off at a run, waving at the other guards to follow._

_After a good five minutes of seeing no sign of the guards, the blonde opened the trunk, moving out of the way for Harry to jump out._

"_Thanks." Harry said, looking at the teen thoroughly for the first time. He had neatly cut, short blonde hair. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of black, stylish sunglasses. He wore expensive clothing from the dark blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, to the hundred dollar jeans and black leather belt._

"_No problem." The stranger said, taking off his glasses to reveal stormy blue eyes. "Those were some wicked moves back there. I especially liked it when you nailed that guard."_

_Smirking slightly Harry said, "Glad you like my work."_

_Chuckling at Harry, the teen held out his hand, "I'm Draco Malfoy."_

_Eyeing his hand, Harry slowly grasped and shook it, "Harry Potter."_

_Letting go, he slid his hands into his pockets, watching as the blonde leaned back against the car, crossing his arms over his chest._

"_You live around here?" Draco asked._

"_Yeah, I've been here for the past five years. You?"_

"_Nah, I live over in Bristol." He continued in a somewhat annoyed voice, "My parents forced me to come visit my aunt with them." Harry could clearly hear the distain in his voice as he said 'parents' and 'aunt'._

"_I take it you don't feel to kindly towards them for that?"_

_Rolling his eyes, Draco snorted and replied sarcastically, "How did you guess?"_

"_I know how you feel," Harry said, "I don't care much for my aunt either."_

"_What about your parents?"_

"_They're dead."_

"_Oh," Draco said, not knowing what to say to that, "Sorry."_

"_Don't be, you didn't kill them."_

_After a few quiet moments Draco asked, "How did they die?"_

"_In a car crash when I was a year old." Harry was about to say more when he heard yelling near an entrance to the mall. He looked up to see three guards heading their way, thankfully none of them having caught sight of him yet._

"_Looks like I better get going. Here," Harry said, fishing around in his bag before handing Draco a new ipod. "Rich kid like you probably already has one but thanks for helping me out." He hoisted his bag over his shoulder, "If you're ever in London again, look me up." With that he gave a short wave and headed to his car, ducking slightly as the guards looked his way._

--

"That's how you met?" Ginny asked, "He helped you escape from security guards?"

"Yeah." Harry said sheepishly.

"I guess he came back to London and looked you up then?"

"Yup…" Harry said, careful about what to say. He told Ginny he'd tell him everything about _his_ life, not Draco's.

"So you guys became friends after that?"

"Yeah. We met up in London again shortly after we met. We live together now, have for the past two and a half years."

"You live with him?" Ginny asked, a bit disappointed. She wasn't too keen on seeing that guy again. She had no idea he had lived with the snarky blonde but that's before she knew his whole story. She had always obviously thought Harry lived with family.

"Err yeah."

"He doesn't live with his family?"

"Umm," Harry said, thinking carefully, "No, he wasn't too keen of his family either."

"Oh." Ginny said, thinking about this new bit of information.

"I'm sorry about him you know. Draco I mean. He was rude to you at the bar and didn't give you much of a chance."

"Why did he act that way to begin with?"

"He was just jealous. Its always just been the two of us. Draco's never really had a close relationship to anyone besides me so I guess he just felt threatened, thinking I wasn't going to be friends with him anymore or something. Maybe he thought that you were going to take me away."

Nodding Ginny stood up, stretching her limbs. Checking her watch she sighed, "It's getting pretty late Harry, I've got to get going. My mum will be wondering where I am pretty soon."

She bent down and gave Harry a short kiss before walking towards her car. "You coming here for lunch tomorrow?"

Harry grinned, glad at the invitation, "Definitely."

As he watched her walk back towards her car, he jumped up and jogged over towards her. Resting his arms on her rolled down window he leaned his head down to her level.

"So Ginny," Harry said, "We're good right?" He asked cautiously, just wanting to be sure.

She gave him a warm smile and winked, "We're good."

--

**Author's Note: **Well there you have it, that's all of Harry's past. What did you think? Like it? Hate it? I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I had a fun writing it. I'll update soon, remember to **review!**


	14. Shaping Up

**Chapter Thirteen: Shaping Up**

"What about McDonalds?"

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Because," Harry said, laughing. "It's too busy. I want somewhere quieter, where I don't have to deal with crying babies and angry customers."

"Well that pretty much rules out any restaurant then." Ginny replied, pressing the newspaper against her leg to cross out the restaurants with her pen.

It had been a week since Harry and Ginny had reconciled. It had been a little awkward at first when they had met for lunch the next day but they had worked past the uncomfortable stage and quickly picked up from where they had left off. They were now officially together and Harry couldn't be happier. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders since he had told Ginny about himself. For once there were no more secrets.

Currently they were at the park where Harry had taken Ginny on their first date. He had his legs stretched out and was leaning back against a tree. Ginny was lying on the ground, her head resting in his lap with her knees bent, a newspaper resting against them. They were looking for a job for Harry, who had, after finding out Draco and himself were low on cash, decided he'd get a job to keep rent. Ginny had been extremely happy about this and had immediately offered to help him look for a job.

Harry leaned his head back against the tree, closing his eyes while he absentmindedly played with a lock of her hair.

"What about a hardware store?"

"Nope."

Ginny lifted her head from his lap and sat cross legged facing him. "Harry, you'll never find a job if you keep being this picky." She smiled at his relaxed form before saying, "Why don't you just come work at the bookstore with me?"

He sighed slightly, opening his eyes to look at her. "Because Ginny. First of all, you're not hiring and secondly, to tell you the truth, I'd be too distracted to get any actual work done."

Ginny blushed faintly, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. "Good answer." She said teasingly, grabbing his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

Grinning like a fool, Harry continued, "Look, how about you pick ten jobs out of there and I have to choose one."

"Alright." She said, lying down once again, resting her head in his lap. She spent a few minutes going through the help wanted ads, circling one occasionally before she handed him the paper. "There, choose."

Harry took the paper from her, scanning the circled ones before chuckling slightly, "Assistant at a nursing home? Can you really picture me working there?"

"No, thought I'd throw that one in for kicks."

"Pet store, no. Grocery store, no. Post office, definitely not. That would be so unbelievably boring." He continued reading off the list quietly to himself before he paused, grabbed the pen from Ginny and put a star next to the job he wanted. "There." He said, handing it back to Ginny for her to read.

"Blockbusters?" Ginny asked quizzically, "Why Blockbusters?"

"Because, all you do is stock the movies, rewind the tapes and you get to watch movies on the T.V. screens in there all day. Plus you can eat the boxes of candy they sell."

Ginny laughed at Harry's laziness, "I think there'll be a bit more to it than that."

"Maybe but it can't be much harder than that."

She shook her head, "Alright then. You chose the job now you just have to go in and apply for it. When do you plan on doing that?"

"Later today. Right now, I can think of something much better to do with my time." To emphasize his point, he pulled Ginny onto his lap.

"Really?" Ginny asked playing dumb, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. "And what would that be?"

Harry didn't answer. Instead, he leaned down slightly, his hands going into her soft, auburn hair before pulling her in for a kiss.

--

Harry dropped Ginny off at her house before making his way to the Blockbusters advertised in the newspaper. Pulling into a parking spot, he got out of the car and walked towards the door. He stepped inside, hearing the bell ring on the door and walked towards the counter to his left.

He slowly walked along the length of the counter before he came across a person with their back towards him.

"Excuse me?" Harry said, trying to gain the person's attention.

The person quickly whipped around to reveal an acne ridden kid who must have been about fifteen. Maybe even younger.

"Oh," He exclaimed in a pitch a few octaves higher than it should have been for a guy. Putting down a few DVDs he'd been fiddling with he said, "Can I help you with something?"

Harry took in the teen's appearance. He was tall and skinny, had curly blonde hair that sat atop his head like a mini afro and silver rimmed glasses. He wore fairly tight jeans that looked to be too small for him, a white t-shirt and a blue vest that kept slipping off his right shoulder, it being much too baggy for him. This must be the standard uniform for the store.

"Yeah, uh, can I speak to your manager?"

"He's out right now. Well actually to be out he'd have to have been in first which he never is. He just clocks in then leaves. I'm the assistant manager though so what can I help you with?"

"You're the assistant manager?" Harry asked in disbelief. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen." The kid said, "My name's Kyle." He stuck out his hand, waiting for Harry to take it.

Eyeing his hand and not wanting to come off as impolite he shook it. "I gathered that from your nametag." Harry said, pointing to the silver nametag with 'Kyle' printed in black, bold letters pinned to his vest.

"Oh yeah." He said, laughing in an embarrassed sort of way. An awkward moment of silence passed before he asked, "What can I help you with?"

"Right." Harry said. Pulling out the newspaper from this morning he gave it to Kyle. "I'd like to apply for the job."

"Really? Okay well, cool. You're the first person who's applied for it and the ads been out for two weeks." He kept on talking, waving his hands in the air for emphasis. He rambled on for a few minutes, not even aware that he was doing so until Harry had had enough.

"Isn't there some sort of paper I'm suppose to fill out?" He asked, interrupting the kid's incessant rant.

"Well usually we'd have you fill one out and then call you in for an interview but well, the manager isn't here and we could really use another hand around here. So I'll just interview you now, is that ok?"

"Sure, whatever." Harry said.

"Okay well. Why do you want to work here?"

"Because I need a job." Harry said shortly, irritated by the teen's perky personality.

"Right." Kyle said, not at all aware of Harry's irritation. "Well how about I show you how to ring the movies up and use the computers. Then after you've got that done if you do a good job with a customer you can have the job. If you do get it, you can start right away and get off at six. I'll make a schedule for you tomorrow." Kyle turned around and pulled out a blue vest from a drawer. "Here." He said, handing the vest to Harry, "That's part of the uniform. So are jeans and a white shirt but you can start that tomorrow. If you get the job that is. And we'll get a nametag printed up for you too, if you stick around here for a while. The manager doesn't like to buy them unless the new employee's going to stick around. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money. "

"Err… okay." Harry said looking at the blue vest before throwing it on over his green shirt, "Where do I start?"

--

"Okay here comes in a few customers." Kyle said, "You take the first one that comes up."

Nodding his head to show he had heard him, Harry stood behind the counter at one of the registers, waiting for a customer. Five minutes later, a beautiful brunette made her way towards him. He saw her eyes drift to him, roaming his body for a second before she walked up to the counter. She ran a hand through her long, shiny hair, brushing it out of her face before looking up at him through her long lashes.

"Hi." She said a bit flirtatiously, giving him a warm smile.

"Hi." Harry said, before receiving a nudge from Kyle who could only gawk at the beautiful woman. "I mean, hello, did you find everything you needed?"

"Yes, thanks." She said, playing a bit shy.

"I'll take those from you and ring them up if that's all then." He said, gesturing to the movies in her hands.

"Sure, I'm all set." She handed him the movies, her fingertips just brushing against his hand as he took them from her. Looking up at her for a moment, Harry watched as she innocently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. A few months ago, Harry would have been all over this woman. Giving her his most charming smile and flirting outrageously with her. But things had changed, him most of all and even though he was getting multiple signs from this woman, he wasn't interested one bit. Sure she was gorgeous but he had Ginny now and that's all he wanted.

Putting the movies into a bag, he said, "That's six pounds. The two new releases are due back in three days and the other is due back in five." He handed her the bag before giving her a short smile. "Have a good day." With that he took a step back and turned to Kyle who could only stare at him in awe.

"Wow." Kyle said, looking back at the retreating form of the brunette then back to Harry. "She was flirting with you!"

Looking at the teen weirdly he said, "Well sometimes women do that to men."

Kyle looked somewhat embarrassed and stared down at his feet. "Yeah, well, I've never seen a beautiful girl like that talk to anyone I know before."

Shrugging, Harry asked, "So do I have the job?"

"Definitely." Kyle said, grinning at Harry. "It'll be nice to have someone around here to talk to for a change." He continued talking but Harry had tuned him out. He walked a few feet away and sat in a chair, waiting for the blonde to stop speaking. After a few minutes he began to think maybe working here wasn't such a great idea. He didn't know how long he'd be able to put up with the blonde's personality and the nonstop talking. Maybe that's why the manager was never around, the kid was so damn annoying it probably drove him out of the place. In a way though Harry felt sort of sorry for the guy. He was obviously not the most attractive or the most popular guy around. He probably talked so much because no one ever listened.

Harry stood, interrupting him once again, "So, what do I have to do around here?"

Kyle immediately stopped talking and looked over to Harry. "Well umm, you just do whatever needs to be done. Work the register if customers are here. If there are movies returned, rewind them if they are VHS and put them back on the shelves. All the movies are categorized by genre and then alphabetically. If you don't know what category they go in just look on the computer. Otherwise, you just vacuum the floor or stock the candy, wipe off the counter. The job's really not that hard."

"Good." Harry said, "We aloud to have the food out there?" Harry asked, gesturing to the boxes of candy and such out on the floor.

"Err… No, not really. It would come out of your paycheck if you do."

Nodding, Harry walked over and grabbed a box of mini butterfingers before walking back behind the counter and sitting on his chair.

Opening the box, he grabbed a piece and threw it into his mouth. Looking over towards Kyle he said, "Want one?"

"Uh, I really shouldn't." Kyle said, looking around as if they were about to get caught.

"Come on, live a little." Harry smirked slightly, shaking the candy in his hand for him to take.

Kyle timidly came and took the candy, throwing quick glances around the room. "Thanks."

Nodding, Harry leaned back in the chair and watched the movie on the T.V. "What's playing?"

"Iron Man. It's a new release."

"Ah okay." Harry said. He sat watching the movie for a few minutes before he looked back to Kyle who was staring at him.

"What?"

"Err, nothing. It's just. Well, what about the work?"

"We'll do it in a bit. There aren't any customers right now and the place looks pretty clean to me so sit and watch the movie."

The blonde hesitantly pulled out another chair and sat down, grabbing another candy offered to him.

--

Harry walked into his flat, dropping his keys on the table, completely exhausted. Not from the work that he eventually got around to but from his new coworker. The guy never shut up. For five hours all Kyle did was talk. It's like he was a damn broken record. No wonder why nobody else worked with him, they must have all quit because they couldn't stand him, the kid was so clingy. He followed Harry around the rest of the day, chatting up a storm. Shaking his head to stop himself from thinking about work, he headed into his room to change into something more comfortable than his jeans. He had just sat on the couch when the door opened and in walked Draco, holding a six pack of beer.

"Oh, hey." Draco said, slamming the door shut with his foot. "Want a beer?" He asked, not waiting for an answer before throwing him one.

"Thanks." Harry said, cracking it open. He took a long swing from it, melting even further into his chair.

"Where were you today?" Draco asked making his way into his room.

"Out with Ginny."

"Oh." Draco said simply. Harry could hear the slight annoyance in his voice. After finding out he was back together with Ginny, Draco hadn't been too happy and usually avoided conversations about her at all cost. Harry figured Draco would eventually warm up to Ginny after seeing nothing between the two of them had changed but when that would happen he didn't know. Hopefully it was soon.

Draco waltzed back into the living room, stretching out on the couch.

"Hey, I picked out a place for tonight." Draco said, grabbing the remote from off the table, flipping through the channels.

"What's tonight?" Harry asked, confused.

"We're low on cash Harry. I've been telling you that for the past week. I've selected a very fine house to make some profit off of." He said, an eager look on his face.

"Oh." Harry said, putting down his beer. "About that… Listen, Draco…" He trailed off slightly, not really knowing how he was going to put this. He knew Draco would most likely not understand and would get angry.

"What?" Draco asked, looking up from the T.V. at Harry's serious voice.

"I'm done with that."

"With what?"

"Well, stealing."

Draco paused, gaping at Harry for a second before he turned off the T.V. and sat up.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm done. With stealing that is." He opened his mouth but closed it quickly, fishing for the right words. "Well, it's… it's wrong mate. And I don't really want to be apart of it anymore."

"Where the hell is this coming from?" Draco exclaimed, getting up from the couch. He didn't wait for an answer before he continued, "How the hell are we going to pay for rent. For food?"

"Well," Harry said, hesitating slightly. He wasn't quite sure if he should tell Draco. "I got a job." He quieted, waiting for Draco's reaction.

"You what?" Draco half laughed, confusion on his face.

"I got a job." Harry repeated slower.

"A job?"

"Yes."

Draco paused for a moment before he cracked a smile. "Good one mate." He fell back onto the couch laughing. "You got a job? Bloody good one. You're Mr. Responsible now eh? An upstanding citizen." He continued, laugher harder. He looked up to see Harry merely sitting in his chair, completely serious. His laughter abruptly stopped.

"You got a _job_?"

"YES!" Harry said, "For the third time, _yes_ I got a job."

"But, but…" Draco sputtered, not knowing what to say. "We don't do jobs. You don't do jobs."

"Well I do now. We need the money right? Well a job gives you that."

"Yeah so does helping yourself to other people's goods."

Rolling his eyes at Draco, he got up and went into the kitchen, with Draco in toe.

"Where the hell is this coming from?" Draco said again, waiting for Harry to answer this time.

"I can't steal anymore Draco. Not only is it wrong but I wouldn't have been able to get Ginny back if I didn't promise to stop."

He scowled, "Well don't tell her then."

"I can't. I made a promise. If she somehow found out, then we'd really be done. No more chances. If I went and stole tonight, I'd just end up feeling guilty. Then I'd act guilty and then she'd know something was up."

Shaking his head, Draco sighed. "You're changing mate. You don't see that? She's completely changing you."

"No she isn't.

Draco ignored him, "What's next? You going to start doing volunteer work at the church?"

"Knock it off." Harry sighed, trying to calm his rising anger. He knew Draco would overreact, just like he always did. "Look mate. We're still friends. We have been for the past two years and nothing's going to change that. Ginny may be positively influencing me but in the end its my choice to do whatever I want and I'm choosing not to steal anymore. If it's between stealing or Ginny, I'll take Ginny in a heart beat. She means a lot to me Draco, she's not just a passing ship. I'm with her and she's not going away, so get used to it." He walked over to Draco and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Just… give her a chance. I know you've been worried that she'll come between us and we'll stop being friends but she's not going to tear our friendship apart. Just, think about it, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Draco said, shrugging off Harry's hand from his shoulder. Trying to shake off the awkward moment Draco joked, "So you got this job cause you're whipped?"

Giving him a grin Harry retorted, "Yeah, kind of like how you are with Pansy." He went back into the living room, hearing Draco's voice float in from the kitchen, "I am not bloody whipped!"

--

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews. Hope you liked the chapter.


	15. Trouble At Work

**Chapter Fourteen: Trouble At Work**

The toaster popped. Grabbing the toast from within, Harry threw it onto the table, lathering it in peanut butter and jelly before throwing the knife into the sink. He hurriedly picked up the spatula from the counter before turning to a small stack of fluffy pancakes sitting on a plate. Flipping them into the large zip lock baggy in his hand, he swiftly turned to the stove, shuffling some bacon into the bag as well. He looked up for only a split second as Draco came dragging his feet into the room.

"Morning." Harry said, opening the fridge and grabbing the syrup on the door.

"G' morning." Draco said groggily. Peeking his eyes open he asked, "What are you making?"

"Breakfast." Harry said simply, squirting syrup into the bag.

"Great." Draco said, now wide awake. "I'm starving."

"Err, sorry I meant I'm making_ my_ breakfast."

"Oh." Draco said grumpily, "That's fine, I wanted cereal anyways."

Harry heard the underlining complaint in his voice. "I would have made you some but I've got to go. In fact I'm already late."

"Where are you going?" Draco asked, flabbergasted, "It's nine in the morning!"

"Work." Harry said, throwing on his vest over a white t-shirt.

"Oh." Draco said once again, not entirely happy his friend was still on this "work" kick.

"Well why'd you make breakfast if you're already late? You won't have time to eat it."

"Ah," Harry said, turning to Draco, "That's where you're wrong my friend." He held up the bag, "Breakfast to go."

"Gross." Was all Draco said as he went to the fridge, grabbed the milk, then grabbed a box of cereal on the counter.

"It may be gross but it does the trick." Harry grabbed his breakfast bag and keys. Stuffing the toast into his mouth he gave a muffled, "See you later mate." Before walking out the door, on his way to work.

--

Harry sped into a parking spot, quickly getting out of the car before hustling into the building. As he entered, Kyle was standing down one of the isles sweeping.

"Hey." Harry said, walking behind the counter to punch in his card.

"It's nine thirty." Kyle said, looking at the clock.

"Yeah I know, err sorry."

"It's okay." Kyle said, continuing his sweeping. "But you probably shouldn't make a habit of it. If the manager see it too many times, he'll fire you. Cause we open at nine."

"And it's a good thing too." Harry said sarcastically, more to himself than Kyle, looking around at the completely dead store.

He opened the cupboard and pulled out the movie bin. Setting it on the counter, he put the first VHS into the VCR and pressed rewind. Drumming his fingers on the counter while waiting, Harry walked out from behind the counter and grabbed a coke from inside the cooler by the candy. He opened the bottle and took a sip, feeling Kyle's disapproving stare while he did so.

"What?" He asked.

"Uh, nothing." Kyle said quickly, looking away from Harry as if afraid he would get angry.

Harry stared at him a moment longer before hearing the VCR stopping the tape. He walked back behind the counter and put in another tape, preparing for a long hour of mindless work.

Forty minutes later Harry was done checking the DVDs and rewinding the tapes. Currently he was crouched on the floor, returning the movies back to their original spots. He figured this had to of been the most horrible location for a Blockbusters. Not one customer had come in the entire time he was doing the movies. He was getting frustrated, trying to find the spot for a certain movie when the bell on the entrance door rang. _'Finally, customers.' _Harry thought, finding the place for the movie and stocking it on the shelf. He glanced up from his spot to see a group of guys, probably around his age, walk into the store, laughing and pushing each other.

He looked to the counter, seeing Kyle behind it and returned to his work, only halfway done with the bin. Harry heard them walking through the isles of the store before he overheard their conversation one isle over from him.

"Hey look." One guy said, "The geek's working today."

At this the others laughed as their leader spoke up again, "Let's go visit him, shall we?"

The others only laughed again, following the teen up to the counter.

"Hey Kyle." The leader said. Harry couldn't get a good look at his face but the teen had brown hair and wore a letterman's jacket as did the rest of the group. The rest of the jocks came up behind the guy who spoke, snickering to one another.

"Hi." Kyle said quietly, nervously looking at the group.

"Kyle," The teen said, "It looks like you're not to happy to see me. Guys," He said, looking around at his group, "I don't think Kyle likes us much."

The group of boys nodded their heads in agreement.

"I, I like you just fine." Kyle murmured, looking away from the teen.

"That makes me _so_ happy to hear. I almost didn't think we were friends anymore."

"We are." Kyle said, still nervously eyeing the group.

"Well good. Since we're friends you wouldn't mind letting me rent these movie for free then would you?"

Kyle looked to the stack of movies the teens had in their hands.

"Well, you're suppose to pay…" He started but trailed of from the looks he received from the group.

The main teen merely looked at his friends, then leaned over to a candy rack beside the counter, "accidentally" knocking the candy off.

"Oops." He said, holding his hands up as if he hadn't done anything.

A few other guys leaned over to the bags of candy, picking them up and stuffing them into their pockets.

"You've got quiet the mess here Kyle, looks like you're not doing your job too well." He leaned over the counter and "jokingly" punched Kyle on the shoulder, making the teen flinch.

At this Harry had had enough. He might not like Kyle that much but he wasn't about to let him get bullied by this group of jocks just like he had when he was younger.

"Is there a problem here?" Harry asked, more like growled, to the group.

They turned around in surprise, staring at Harry.

"Who are you?" The teen asked, stepping forward.

"I work here." He said, giving the teen a hard look, "I think you should pay for all of that, don't you?"

The teen eyed Harry, as if he were sizing him up.

"Sure," He said, putting the movies onto the counter. "How much for these?"

Kyle quickly rang them up, "Twelve pounds."

"Alright, here you go." He said, in a sarcastically jolly voice, handing Kyle the money. "Well I guess we'll see you at school Monday." He said, gesturing for his friends to follow.

Harry watched as the other two teens who had taken some of the candy try to hustle towards the exit. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the back of their jackets, pulling them back from the group.

"I think you're forgetting something." Harry said, not letting up on his hard grip.

"Hey!" The group's leader yelled, coming back, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Harry ignored him, letting go of the two and grabbing the candy they had from out of their jacket pockets.

"Either pay for these or leave." Harry said, holding up the bags.

The teen looked at Harry, his face getting redder by the second.

"Think you're a tough guy eh?" The jock said, stepping right up to Harry.

"No, no he doesn't." Kyle said quickly, coming out from behind the counter. He stood in between Harry and the other guy. "Leave it alone." He said quietly to Harry, not wanting him to get hurt.

The jock merely pushed Kyle out of the way, sending a punch towards Harry which was easily avoided. In return, Harry delivered a blow to the jock's face, hitting the bridge of his nose.

"Ah!" The guy exclaimed, falling to the ground. He covered his swelling nose with one hand, the other trying to stop the flow of blood traveling down his face.

"Get 'im." He said, struggling to his feet.

Two other guys from the group came towards him. The first teen swung his fist towards Harry's face. Harry ducked, sending a quick punch to the teen's stomach, making him double over in pain. He then turned his attention towards the other teen who also tried punching him in the face. But Harry easily evaded his fist, socking him right in the face, causing the teen to fall to the floor with a loud thump.

Harry stood completely calm, while the other boys backed up.

"Let's go." One of the teens who hadn't fought said, before helping their friends up from off the floor.

"Don't come back here or we'll call the police." Harry yelled to the retreating group.

He turned back around and looked at Kyle, who had been once again staring at him in awe. Kyle quickly looked away, extremely embarrassed by what had just happened.

"Thanks." He murmured quietly.

"No problem." Harry said, walking over to pick up the spilled candy. "Why do you let them treat you like that?"

Kyle walked over towards Harry to help him. "Not much I can do is there? You saw them and compared to me, well… I wouldn't stand much of a chance."

"Well you really won't get them off your back if you don't try." Harry said, stacking the last bag before standing up.

"Hit me."

"What?" Kyle asked alarmed. "Why would I do that?"

"Just try to hit me."

"No." Kyle said, staring at Harry as if he had gone insane.

"Trust me Kyle, you won't hurt me." He pulled the blonde up, making Kyle stand in front of him. "Now hit me as hard as you can, anywhere."

"Err… okay." Kyle said hesitantly before bringing his balled hands up to his face. "Here I go." He warned, before sending an extremely slow and weak punch at Harry's head. He simply stepped out of the way.

"Alright, I'm going to give you a few pointers."

"Why?" Kyle asked.

"So if there's a next time with those asses, you can fight back. Maybe then they won't pick on you."

"No I mean, why are you helping me?"

"Because," Harry said sighing, he didn't want to say too much on this topic. "When I was younger I got beaten up too. I know how it feels. If I would have known how to fight back, they would have left me alone, not wanting to get hurt themselves."

"You were bullied?" Kyle asked, stunned. He thought Harry was the epitome of cool.

"Yes. Anyways," Harry continued, not wanting to dwell on the subject of his past for too long. "Hold up your hands like this…"

--

Harry stood wiping off the counter. Some idiotic customer had let their kid hold their bottle of opened pop and they had spilled it all over, creating a sticky mess. Harry scrubbed hard at the plastic surface of the counter, hearing the bell on the door ring again.

'_Ugh,'_ He thought, slumping his shoulders, _'Not more customers. Better not be another damn kid that's for sure.'_ A person came to stand right before him on the other side of the counter. He opened his mouth to greet them when he heard the person laugh good naturedly.

"Wow Harry Potter doing actual work. That's not something you see everyday."

Harry whipped his head up to see two warm brown eyes staring back at him, a spark of humor in them.

"Ginny." Harry said happily, his bad mood instantly disappearing. He stood up straight. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's my lunch break and since you came and brought lunch to me all of those times, I figured it was my turn to return the gesture." As she said this, she held up a white paper bag packed with food in one hand and two cups of coffee in the other.

Harry grinned. "Kyle," He yelled to the blonde in the back of the store, "I'm taking my lunch."

"But you already took your lunch." Kyle yelled back.

"Uh, well, I'm taking another one." Harry replied, causing Ginny to chuckle. He moved out from behind the counter, giving Ginny a quick kiss, resting his hands on her waste.

"Wow look at you." She said, taking a step back from him and looking him over. "You look so dashing in your uniform." She teased, giving him a grin.

"Very funny." He said, leaning down to give her another kiss to make her stop laughing. "Come on." Harry said, gesturing to Ginny. He walked into a back room and pushed two boxes together. Scanning the room, he found two chairs and brought them up to his makeshift table.

"Milady," Harry said bowing, pulling the chair out for her to sit in.

"Why thank you kind Sir." Ginny replied, trying her hardest to act serious while suppressing a smile.

"So how's the job?"

"Ah," Harry said, sinking into his chair. "Exhausting."

"Aw, poor baby." Ginny said in a consoling way, leaning over to give him a quick kiss.

She pulled back and asked seriously, "What's so bad about it?"

"Well its not bad, just…" He trailed off trying to find the right words. "My coworker's so bloody annoying."

"Why? What makes him annoying?"

"He just, he won't stop talking. He's nice enough though and I feel a bit bad for him. Some guys from his school came in earlier and gave him a hard time. They were about to leave without paying for a bunch of stuff so I stopped them. Long story short, they weren't to happy about being told what to do and we sort of got into a fight."

"What?" Ginny exclaimed, stunned. "You got into a fight? Here? Are you okay? Did you…"

"Whoa Ginny." Harry said, holding up his hands. "I'm fine. And it wasn't really a fight. They just tried to hit me and I taught them a lesson."

She shook her head, "I shouldn't be surprised."

"Well they were asking for it." Harry said, in his defense. "I told them to pay for the stuff but they wouldn't listen."

Ginny just laughed. Only Harry would get into a fight at work.

"So when do I get to meet this coworker of your's?"

"You want to meet him?" Harry asked, swallowing a mouthful of food. "Alright, one second."

Harry stood and walked to the door, opening it.

"Kyle!" He yelled trying to gain the blonde's attention.

"What?" Kyle yelled back.

"Come here."

He watched Kyle prop the broom he was holding against the wall before promptly tripping over it. _'What a klutz.' _Harry thought, shaking his head as he saw Kyle try to untangle himself before finally coming over to him.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to meet my girlfriend, Ginny." He moved back slightly to let Kyle into the room. "Ginny, this is my coworker Kyle."

"Hi," Ginny said, getting up and walking over to the two of them, "It's nice to meet you Kyle." She held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you too." He said in a bit of a daze, gawking at Ginny before finally grasping her hand and shaking it.

"Well." Harry said, "I'll be out in a bit Kyle."

Kyle backed out of the room, his eyes still transfixed on Ginny. Just as Harry was about to shut the door on him, Kyle pulled at his arm slightly, making him come out of the room.

"She's your girlfriend!?"

"Yeah."

"She's gorgeous."

Harry gave him an intimidating look. He was only joking but Kyle didn't need to know that. "Don't get any wise idea's mate. She's mine."

"Oh, uh," Kyle blushed, "Yeah of course, I was just…"

Harry chuckled, "See you in a bit." He turned around and walked back into the room, shutting the door behind him.

He looked to Ginny, "So?"

"Well I happen to like him." She said, crossing her legs.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean the gaping was a little weird but he said I'm gorgeous. Of course he's going to win some points with me."

Harry sat down on his chair. "Well I happen to totally agree with him there." He said, smiling caringly at Ginny.

Ginny gave him a bright smile and blushed slightly, getting up from her chair to sit in his lap.

Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned forward, capturing his lips in a tender kiss.

--

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone. I'm so sorry for the _long_ wait. My internet has been out for the past twelve days. Damn internet company accidentally cut off my connection and couldn't set it back up until they flipped some switch somewhere which they only do every two weeks. So here's the chapter, I hope it was okay. Kind of boring in my opinion but it was more of a filler chapter. The next few chapters to come will have a lot more to them. I promise I'll update way sooner than this time so stay tuned. **Review!**


	16. More Threats

**Chapter Fifteen: More Threats**

Harry lean back against the tree truck his arms wrapped around Ginny's shoulders, who contently sat between his legs, leaning back into his chest.

Harry sighed, resting his head in the crook of her shoulder, breathing deeply as the smell of her hair intoxicated him.

A week had passed since helping Kyle out with those bullies at work. He finally had his first day off and he couldn't be happier. It was nice not having the annoying blonde jabbering in his ear for hours on end.

He was currently in the park by the small lake, basking in the time he spent with Ginny.

"I could get used to this." Harry said, pressing a small kiss to Ginny's temple.

She sighed and closed her eyes at the feel of his lips on her. "Me too." She whispered softly, relaxing into his arms more.

Trailing kisses down her cheek and along her jaw to her mouth, Harry leaned down slowly, locking her lips with his in a heated kiss. He slid his hands to rest on her waste, bring one hand up and resting it against her cheek. He pulled her head closer to his for a more forceful, intense kiss. She twisted in his arms slightly, trying to get better access to his mouth. Wrapping her arms around him, her hands began playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

After a good few minutes of kissing, Harry pulled back, slightly dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

"Mmm, don't stop, you taste good." Ginny murmured, pulling him back for another sweet kiss.

Harry smiled against her lips. He couldn't remember a time he'd been happier than right here and now with Ginny in his arms. Ginny brought a spark of light and warmth to his previously cold and unfulfilling life.

Having been released from her grip, Harry rested his forehead against hers, smiling brightly at her.

"So are we going to a movie tonight?" Ginny asked, keeping her arms tight around his neck.

Harry smiled, "Of course, what did you want to see?"

"Doesn't really matter to me, I don't think we'll be paying much attention to the movie anyways." Ginny said, a mischievous glint in her eyes, a small smile tickling the corner of her lips.

Harry grinned, "Well in that case, we'll just go to whatever's playing when we get there."

"Okay." She said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, relishing the feel of Harry's hands on her waste, his thumb brushing against the exposed skin above her jeans.

"Now that that's settled, could we get back to what we were doing before you rudely interrupted us?" She asked, pouting.

He merely shook his head, "You'll be the death of me Weasley."

She grinned, leaning so close their lips were only an inch apart.

"But what a wonderful way to die." She whispered, running her fingers through his hair and kissing him tenderly.

--

"So did you like the movie?" He asked, walking hand in hand down the street with Ginny.

"Couldn't say," She said, smirking at him, "I was a bit distracted, couldn't even tell you what it was about to tell you the truth."

Harry smiled at her, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "Same here."

They strolled down the street, looking into the various shops as they passed. It was dark out by the time the movie got over. Dull lights illuminated the road, casting off a romantic glow around the street.

"You want to get something to eat?" Harry asked, gesturing to a pizza shop that was open across the street.

"Sure, I'm starving!" She exclaimed. As if on queue, her stomach made a loud growl.

Harry chuckled, tugging on her hand gently, leading her across the street. They stood waiting patiently for someone to seat them when an attractive blonde waitress came up to them.

"Hi, I'm Stacy." She said, smiling appreciatively towards Harry. "Just the two of you?"

"Yeah and a booth would be great."

She nodded, looking Harry over once before turning sharply around, her hair whipping the air behind her.

Harry and Ginny followed to the booth in the corner of the room. The place was dead, save for a few people scattered here and there throughout the restaurant.

The blonde handed Harry a menu before dropping Ginny's on the table in front of her. She turned to Harry with a warm smile, completely ignoring Ginny.

"What can I get you?"

"A cherry coke." He said, before looking at Ginny, "What do you want?"

"I'll have the same thing." Ginny said politely.

The girl jotted down their order before looking back up at Harry through her thick lashes. "Is that all for you?"

"Ginny?" Harry asked.

"We're fine thanks." She said, looking at the girl who was nearly drooling over her boyfriend.

"I'll be back with your drinks shortly." Stacy said, flicking her hair over her shoulder and smiling once again at Harry. She turned to leave but not before throwing Ginny a dark, jealous look.

Harry snorted and shook his head the second she walked away.

"Sorry."

"You've got nothing to apologize for Harry. She was the one checking you out, not the other way around."

Harry reached across the table and covered her hand with his own.

"I've only got eyes for you Ginny."

She grinned, flushing slightly. "Well aren't you the romantic tonight."

Harry chuckled, picking up his menu, "I try."

Scanning the menu he looked up to her, "What do you want to eat?"

"Doesn't matter to me, everything looks so good. You pick."

He shook his head, "You pick what you want. I'm a guy, I'll eat anything you order."

She laughed, her eyes twinkling, "Really? So if I ordered both of us," She glanced down at the menu, "A salad, you'd be perfectly okay with that?"

Harry's face twisted into an unpleasant expression for a brief second before smoothing back out. "Whatever you want."

Ginny laughed, giving him a wide grin, "How about a plan old pepperoni pizza?"

"With extra cheese?"

"Of course, they never put enough on."

Harry nodded and leaned back into the bench waiting for the waitress to come back.

A second later the blonde was back, pen poised over a pad of paper, "You ready to order?"

"Yeah, we'll have a small pepperoni pizza with extra cheese."

"Okay, it'll be about ten minutes." She replied.

"Take your time, we're in no rush." She nodded, purposely looking away from Ginny before taking off to another table.

"I don't think she likes me much." Ginny joked.

"Ah she's just jealous. You're much prettier than her."

Ginny smiled, "Two for two tonight Potter."

"Just being truthful."

"That may be but I think she was jealous of who I was with."

"Nah," Harry said, crossing his arms on the table, "I think I've got it right."

Ginny leaned across the table, pecking him on the lips, causing a wide grin to spread across Harry's face.

She pulled her drink towards her and took a sip. "So how's Draco doing lately?"

"He's alright I guess." Harry shrugged, pulling his own drink towards him, "I really don't know for sure, we haven't really hung out in a while."

"Why not?"

"Well, because of work mostly. And any free time I do have I want to spend it with you."

"Oh." Ginny said thinking to herself. Even though she didn't really care for Draco, he was Harry's friend and she didn't want him to ignore Draco because of her. As if she needed Draco to feel any more resentment towards her.

"So you've not been hanging out with him because of me?"

Harry shook his head, "No, he just hasn't really been around a lot lately. We've both been kind of busy. It's got nothing to do with you, don't feel guilty about it."

She nodded, taking another gulp from her coke.

They sat in a comfortable silence for ten minutes or so, talking about anything that came to their minds.

"There you go." Stacy said, placing the pizza on the table. "Careful, it's a bit hot."

She set down a plate and fort in front of the both of them before seeing Harry's empty glass.

"Can I get you a refill?"

"Yeah, please." Harry said, handing her the cup. She turned to leave but was stopped by Harry.

"Yes?" She asked innocently.

"She'd like a refill too."

"Oh." The blonde said, grabbing the cup from Ginny's hand roughly before making her way back to the kitchen.

"Bloody hell." Harry said, frowning as he stared after the blonde. "Well I can tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"She's not getting a tip from me."

An hour or so later they were done with their food and left the restaurant to take Ginny home.

Harry jumped out of his car, jogging over to the other side to open Ginny's door for her.

"Thank you kind Sir." Ginny said, hopping out of the car.

"You're most welcome milady." Harry replied in a teasing voice, playing along. He grabbed her hand and slowly walked her up to the front door of her house.

"Well, I had a great time today. I couldn't think of a better way I'd want to spend my free time."

"Me too Harry. Thanks for the movie and dinner."

He turned to stop on her doorstep, "My pleasure."

They stood for a few moments before Ginny looked at him expectantly.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?" She asked.

He grinned at her before placing his hands on her waste, pulling her flush against him. He leaned down, capturing her lips with his in a soft kiss. Their breathing increased, the kiss taking a more aggressive turn. Harry pulled away from her lips to kiss his way down her throat to her collar bone. Ginny tilted her head back further, trying to give him better access as she gripped his hair, feeling her knees beginning to get wobbly.

He trailed kisses back up her throat to her ear, nibbling on it lightly. He slowed down and kiss her once, twice on the lips before pulling away from her.

"Goodnight Ginny." He whispered, releasing her from his grip.

"Night Harry."

--

Opening the door to his flat, Harry shrugged off his coat and stepped inside. He could hear voices drifting in from the kitchen. _'Great.'_ Harry thought, throwing his keys on the table. _'Draco's entertaining some guests.'_ He glanced down at his watch. _11:12_. All he wanted to do was go to sleep. He sighed and made his way into the kitchen.

He stopped abruptly at the sight that greeted him when he first walked in. There was Draco sitting at the kitchen table, which normally wouldn't have been strange, except this time Pansy sat straddling him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her long blonde hair cascading down her back. _'Great, just great.'_

"Harry." Draco said, standing quickly up from the table, nearly knocking Pansy to the floor. "We've you been mate?"

"Out with Ginny." He replied, making his way to the fridge.

"Right." Draco mumbled under his breath.

"Who's Ginny?" Pansy asked, confusion clouding her face.

"Harry's girlfriend."

Pansy's eyes widened, "Girlfriend? You mean Harry Potter's finally been bagged?"

Harry rolled his eyes, choosing not to comment.

"Is she pretty?" Pansy asked. Harry thought he heard a twinge of jealousy in her voice.

"No." Draco said a bit sour.

"Yes, she's beautiful." Harry said, irritated by Draco's comment. Ginny was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever met. All the other women he'd ever been with had been fake. But Ginny, she was… pure. She didn't need makeup to make her pretty, she just naturally was.

"Oh." Pansy said disgruntled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Keep the volume down if she's going to stay here Draco." Harry said, before making his way to his room.

"Harry wait!" Draco said, walking out of the kitchen after him.

"Yeah?"

"You busy tomorrow?"

"Err, I don't know yet, why?"

"Well, I was thinking we'd head down to Max's tomorrow night. You haven't been there for a while, thought you could use a night out."

"Ah, sorry mate I can't. I've got to work the late shift tomorrow night."

"Of course." Draco muttered under his breath, scowling at the floor.

Harry saw his reaction and sighed. He and Draco hadn't done much together in the past few weeks, so maybe he could blow off work just this once to do something with him.

"Sure, I'll go."

Draco's head whipped up, his body tense. His eyes narrowed at Harry. "Don't go because you feel you have to. You're not obligated to hang out with me. I don't _need_ to do anything with you, just thought I'd ask."

"I'm not saying it because I feel obligated. I want to."

Draco eyed him critically for a few moments before relaxing. "Cool, Max's at nine tomorrow night then?"

"Sure." Harry said, yawning loudly. "I'm going to hit the hay, goodnight." He made his way to his door before pausing. "And please Draco, if you value my health at all, you'll keep it down with Pansy tonight."

"Sure." Draco said, giving Harry a grin before making his way back to the kitchen.

Turning off the bedside lamp, Harry rolled onto his back, melting into the pillows. He'd been out and about all day, he needed a good night's sleep. His eyelids were getting heavier and heavier as the minutes passed, until finally they slowly closed. His mind was just on the brink of unconsciousness, images of Ginny filling his head when a loud, high pitched laughter rang through the entire apartment. Harry growled and rolled onto his side as Pansy's giggles drifted through the now seemingly paper thin walls. He picked up his pillow and covered his ears, trying to drown out Pansy and Draco and the activities they would later be getting to tonight.

--

"Thanks Max." Harry said, picking up his drink from the bar and taking a swig.

"Yeah, thanks Max!" Draco slurred a bit, giving him a 'cheers' before knocking his glass back.

Max chuckled at Draco before turning to Harry, "Still hasn't upped his tolerance for beer eh?"

Harry laughed and looked at Draco, who sat mumbling to himself, "No not really."

Max shook his head and took a glass from the counter, drying it off. "Haven't seen you around here for quiet a while Harry, we've you been?"

"Err… well, I got a job and I've been spending time with my girlfriend Ginny. You remember her? I brought her here a while back and played some pool."

"Ah, the redhead right?" At Harry's nod he continued, "Yeah she was a pretty one if I remember right. You're both doing good then?"

"Yeah, its going great."

Max turned around to place the glass on the back counter before picking up another. "What's this you said about a job now? Finally entered the work force huh?"

"Yeah. Thought it was time to get a legit job to make some money for once."

Max stared at him seriously, "So you're done with the other money making schemes?"

Harry knew what he was hinting at, "Yeah, Ginny's positively influenced me."

"Good." Max said gruffly, pouring more beer into Draco's already empty glass. "About time you wised up."

Harry nodded, toying with his glass for a minute before looking back up at Max.

"Hey… Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I um," Harry blushed, embarrassed at what he was about to do but knew it had to be done. "I wanted to give you something."

He fished around in his pockets for a moment, pulling out his wallet.

"Err, here." He said, taking out twenty pound and placing it on the counter.

"What's this for?" Max asked surprised. He'd never made Harry pay for drinks before, so why would Harry be giving him any money now?

"It's um," Harry heaved a sigh, "It's the start of my payment towards you, for everything you've done for me over the years. You know, taking me in and all of that. It must have cost you a bit over time."

"Ah." Max said, just as uncomfortable as Harry was, "You don't need to pay me back for that Harry…"

"I know, but I want to."

Max shook his head, "Thanks for the thought kid but I don't need your money. Its your's, you keep it." He slid the money back over towards Harry, "By your girl something nice with it."

Harry glanced at a red faced Max before taking the money back. "If you're sure…"

"I am."

They both shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say next. They'd never talked about what Max had done for Harry before now and it was highly embarrassing for the both of them. They were both saved from continuing the awkward conversation by someone calling for Max across the room.

"Looks like I'm needed. Take what you want, I'll be back in a bit." He clasped Harry on the shoulder before walking off towards the pool tables.

"What was all of that about mate?" Draco said, swaying slightly in his seat.

"Nothing." Harry said, reaching behind the counter to pour himself a new glass.

Draco and Harry sat talking for a while, catching up on what the other had been doing the past few days. Draco was in the middle of telling a joke when it happened.

"What have we got here? Potter and his groupie Malfoy. Haven't seen you around here for a while Potter, how've you been?"

Harry whipped around in his seat to see Michael Corner and Zacharias Smith standing a few feet away.

"What the bloody hell do you two bastards want?" Draco yelled, standing up from his chair. Harry sighed. He'd really have to remind Draco to control his temper when he drinks.

"What do you think we're doing here Malfoy? It's a bar isn't it? We're here for a few drinks. We're celebrating a big cash in we got earlier tonight."

Draco growled, "This is our place Smith, you know Max would never sell anything to you. Get the hell out!"

Harry finally stood at this point, standing and facing Draco.

"Calm down mate. Their not worth getting this excited over. Sit down and drink your beer."

Draco grudgingly sat on his stool, continuing to glare at Smith and Corner over Harry's shoulder.

"Look," Harry said, turning around to face the two idiots, "Sit down and have a drink then. We don't want any trouble tonight."

Smith's lips curved into a smirk. "Sure Potter, as long as you tighten the leash on that dog of your's."

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco tense, trying hard to control himself.

"Whatever Smith. Just go sit somewhere else and leave us alone."

"Sure, sure." Corner said, speaking up for the first time. They were about to sit at the bar a few stool down from them when Max came over.

"Get out you two. I've never served the two of you here before so why you think I'd change my mind now is beyond me."

"We've got money though." Corner said, slipping Max more than enough money for two beers.

Max's eyes narrowed, "Out, before I remove you myself. I don't want any trouble in my bar tonight."

Smith glared at Max before standing. He turned to Harry, "We heard you've given up the life of crime Potter, that true?"

"Yes." Harry said calmly, trying not to have anything start. He knew Draco was just waiting for them to say one wrong thing before he pounced on them.

"Smart Potter. Very smart on your part. It's a good thing you listened to us, now we won't have to hurt you. Shame really. Kind of wished you wouldn't have listened. It would have given us a good excuse to pound the two of you."

Harry rolled his eyes, "I hardly did it because of your _threat_ Smith, if that's what you're calling it." He continued, ignoring Smith's death glare, "I stopped because I wanted to. Your 'threat' did nothing to influence me."

"I haven't stopped though Smith." Draco said, finally speaking up. "Why don't you come over here and keep good on your threat. _Try_ to hit me."

Corner took a step forward but Smith held him back, "We don't want to waste out time getting into a fight with_ you_ Malfoy. Though, I would hardly call it a fight. We'd pummel you so fast…"

"Out!" Max growled, not letting him finish.

Smith turned on his heels to walk out the door but paused before stepping outside. Looking over his shoulder, he threw a dark look towards Harry and Draco, "Just remember Potter. This is our turf now. If you do decide to change your mind and start up again, we'll be waiting to stop you. And I promise, the confrontation won't be pleasant."

--

**Author's Note:** Hello readers! Here's the new chapter, hope you liked it. Thank you all very much for the reviews, keep them coming!


	17. Mr Responsible

**Chapter Sixteen: Mr. Responsible**

The buzzing of the alarm clock rang loudly in the room. Harry rolled over, slapping the clock a few times before finally hitting the snooze button. He lay on his side for a moment, slowly opening his eyes. He squinted at the blaring red numbers on the clock. _9:32._ Groaning, Harry closed his eyes and turned to lie on his stomach, burying his face in the pillow.

"Mate, get up!" Draco yelled from the hallway, pounding on the door.

"G' way." Harry muttered sleepily, raising his arm slightly towards the door, making a shooing motion.

"Get up, or I'll stand here all day pounding on the door." Draco warned. He listened for a moment, hearing no noise inside the room. "Get up!" He yelled, pounding continuously against the door while jiggling the doorknob.

Harry lifted his head, looking to see if his blonde haired friend had gotten in. _'Nope.'_ He smiled tiredly but content before plopping his head back down on the pillow. _'Just a few more minutes.'_

The incessant pounding on the door finally stopped a few minutes later. He was just about to fall back asleep when a hand grabbed his and yanked him out of bed.

"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed, jumping up from off the floor. "What gives?"

Draco smirked at him, "I tried to get you up but you wanted to do it the hard way. Be thankful I didn't throw water on you."

Harry grumbled to himself, making his way towards the bathroom. He certainly hadn't forgotten that unfortunate incident. He'd been angry at Draco for days. He had to sleep on the couch for two nights because his bed wouldn't dry. The couch was as comfortable a couch as any but it was nowhere near as comfortable as his bed.

He went into the bathroom, getting ready for the day before coming out to get dressed. He threw on a wrinkled dark green t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He'd bought the shirt with Ginny a few days ago when he had gone shopping with her. He ended up buying it because she loved the way it brought out his eyes.

Harry sluggishly made his way into the kitchen.

"Hurry up and eat." Draco said, sitting at the table himself, "I've got some cereal ready for you here."

"Okay." Harry said, sitting down at the table, watching Draco shove food into his mouth. "You're going to choke someday doing that."

Draco just grinned, "Hasn't happened yet."

Harry shrugged and slowly at his breakfast. When he was finished, he leaned back into the chair and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Why are you so energetic today?" Harry asked, looking curiously at Draco.

"Because we're going to the game today remember? We bought tickets for it about a week ago."

"Right, right." Harry said, suddenly remembering.

"So hurry up and do whatever you need to get ready, we're leaving soon."

Harry nodded, still a bit tired and made his way into his bedroom. He stood staring at the calendar for a moment. He thought he had something else to do today but he could put his finger on what.

"Grab your ticket and let's go." Draco yelled from the living room.

Harry shook his head, trying to clear the haziness from his mind. He'd only woke up ten minutes ago after all. He made his way to his closet, digging around in his pocket for the ticket when his eyes feel on his work vest. Something suddenly clicked in his head. He quickly checked his watch. _9:46._ _'Damn.' _He thought, grabbing his vest and a white shirt from his closet before dashing into the bathroom. _'I'm fifteen minutes late.'_ He hurriedly put of his uniform and made his way to the living room.

"What the hell are you wearing? Going like that to the game?" Draco laughed, confused by his friend's attire.

"Sorry Draco, I've got to go to work. I'm already late."

"What do you me you have to go to work?" Draco exclaimed, rising from the couch. "We're going to the game, you're not going to work today. You said…"

"Yeah I know what I said," Harry told Draco, looking for his keys, "But I can't go, I've got to work."

"So skip."

"Ugh, I can't, I already skipped work a few days ago for drinks remember? I don't want to get fired. The kid who's well, my boss, he's a bit finicky when it comes to attendance."

"Fuck." He heard Draco swear under his breath, glaring at Harry. He turned to Draco and saw his angry expression.

"Draco," He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Looking, I'm sorry but I _have_ to go. This job shows Ginny that I'm responsible. That, I'm a good guy now. If I loose this…" He trailed off, not wanting to think about the possibility of loosing Ginny.

"Look, can't you just… I don't know, bring Pansy to the game? She'd go. Or how about one of the mates from the bar? They'd be pretty good company."

"Yeah." Draco muttered darkly. Harry had been blowing him off enough lately for Ginny or his job and it was really starting to get on his nerves.

"Alright great." Harry said, so engrossed on finding his keys he didn't hear the tone Draco had used. "Ah ha!" He said, swiping the keys off the table, which had been hiding underneath some papers, "There you are."

He grabbed his phone from the drawer and shoved it into his pocket before opening the front door. "Have a good time at the game mate, I'm sure it will be a blast. I wish I could go with you but I can't mess this up." He didn't wait for a reply before slamming the door shut, leaving a brooding Draco standing in the living room.

--

"You're late." Kyle said as Harry skidded to a halt inside the door.

"Yeah, I know. Err, sorry about that Kyle. There was an emergency I had to take care of first." Harry lied smoothly, fixing his vest and nametag which were askew from the running he'd done to get here.

"Oh," Kyle said, a worried look on his face. Just as Harry expected, he took his lie without thinking twice. "What happened?"

"Um…" Harry said, making his way behind the counter. What was a good excuse?

"My dog died."

Kyle's eyes became sad, "Really? Oh I'm really sorry Harry."

"Yeah, thanks Kyle." Harry said in a sad tone, playing it up a bit more.

"What happened to him?"

"I just woke up and he was dead."

"Oh, that's really too bad." Kyle said, shaking his head. "What was his name?"

"Uh, Kujo." Harry said, chuckling lightly to himself before stopping as Kyle looked at him. It was the first thing that popped into his head, the killer dog from the Stephen King movie.

"That's erm, a nice name." Kyle said supportively, coming to awkwardly pat Harry on the back.

Harry moved quickly away, creeped out by their close proximity.

"I'll just ah, restock the movies, okay?" Harry said before grabbing the movie bin and hustling out to the floor.

He was crouching on the ground a few minutes later, placing the movies back on the shelf when he saw a pair of feet come to a halt beside him. He sighed, "What Kyle?"

"Uh, well…" Kyle sighed, sitting on the floor beside Harry. "You know, my dog died about a few years ago."

"Oh," Harry said, trying to squish the small guilt that was slowly swelling inside him. "Sorry to hear that Kyle."

"Yeah." Kyle said sadly, his eyes resting on the floor. "I'd had him since I was born, his name was Fubsy."

Harry repressed a snort. He felt slightly bad for wanting to laugh but come on, what the hell kind of a name was that? Couldn't he have named it, something a bit more masculine? Anything would have been better. But of course Kyle would have a dog named Fubsy. He really couldn't picture him with an animal who had a normal name.

"He died when he got hit by a car."

That wasn't so funny.

"Sorry Kyle." Harry said sincerely, giving the curly haired blonde a sympathetic smile.

"Thanks."

They were both quiet for a moment, Harry stacking the movies while Kyle sat picking at his shoe.

"I was suppose to bring him to school that day, for show and tell." Kyle muttered, "That happened to the past couple of animals I had. Every time I was suppose to bring them in for show and tell, they died the day before."

Wow, Kyle had some serious bad luck when it came to animals. Harry looked over to Kyle and saw the sad, depressed look on his face. The guilt swelled a bit more.

"I woke up a few days ago after a dream I had about him. I looked under my bed where he usually slept, but he wasn't there…"

"Okay!" Harry said, standing up suddenly. "Okay, my dog didn't die alright?"

"What?" Kyle asked confused, a hurt expression on his face.

"Well, I um, lied."

"Why... why would you lie about something like that?" Kyle asked in a wounded voice.

Harry saw the offended and slightly angry expression that was quickly overtaking his face. _'Great, now I'm in trouble. Should have just said I overslept. Damn.'_

"Err, I mean, it wasn't my dog… It was my friend's dog, Draco." Harry lied again, not wanting Kyle to be angry or continue on with the depressing stories. "He called me, I had to be there for him."

"Oh," Kyle said, standing up, "Why didn't you just say that to begin with?"

"Just, ah, didn't want to get into trouble for being late. I didn't know if you'd understand or not."

"Oh, okay." Kyle said, "Well I understand, don't worry." He continued, giving Harry a smile.

"Thanks."

"Well, we should probably get back to work. I'll handle the register for a while, you just finish up this."

"Okay." Harry said gratefully, glad Kyle was giving him his space.

Six hours later, Harry was standing behind the counter, sitting in his chair, his feet up resting on the counter. A bag of cheetos was opened in his lap and a bottle of pop was sitting on the counter. He had his chair turned facing out towards the floor at the T.V. that was playing some stupid movie.

The bell on the door rang, signally a customer had come in. Harry paid them no heed, continuing to stare at the screen. They'd take forever to get to the counter anyways, everyone always spent a good twenty minutes looking through the movie before making up their mind.

He heard the customers standing at the door, talking in hushed voices so he couldn't make out the words. Suddenly a loud, familiar feminine laughed echoed through the room causing him to snap his head up in their direction. There stood Draco and Pansy, staring at him by the door. Draco had his arm wrapped around Pansy's waste, while Pansy hung off of him, giggling occasionally.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Responsible. What do we have here? An employee slacking on the job eh?" Draco smirked as he walked over towards Harry.

Harry pulled his feet off the counter and stood up, wiping his cheesy orange fingers on his pants.

"Of course," Harry said, grinning back, "Hard work's a bit overrated."

Draco laughed, coming to stand by the counter in front of him.

"Nice uniform Harry." Pansy said, giggling slightly, "Love the nametag."

"Laugh it up Pansy." Harry said. He bit back the retort of what he knew _she_ did to get money. He may not really like her but he wasn't that harsh.

"Don't laugh Pansy." Draco said, mirth shining in his eyes, "I think it looks rather dashing on him."

"Really Draco?" Harry said, irritated by Draco egging her on, "Flirting with me?"

Draco flushed, glaring at him, "I'm the one with a girl on my arm Harry, _you're_ the one stuck inside a store all day with just a guy as company." He looked around the store, "Where is your boss anyways?"

"In the back." Harry said, narrowing his eyes at Draco. He was obviously still a bit sore about Harry ditching him this morning, but there was no need for him to come in here and start trouble.

"Hey Harry," Came Kyle's voice behind him, "I'm going to switch the movie if you don't mind, I've seen this one…" Kyle finally looked up, seeing the two blonde's standing by Harry. "Oh, err, hi."

Draco smirked, looking the teen over, "So you're Harry's boss huh?" He said in a mocking voice. He threw a quick glance at Harry, suppressing a laugh. The kid was a total geek. This was the type of nerd that got beat up everyday at school.

"Oh, uh, I… I guess." Kyle said quietly, fidgeting under Draco's judging stare.

"Nice glasses. And I love the whole Napoleon Dynamite look."

Kyle looked away embarrassed.

Draco let out a low chuckle. "I'm Draco." He said, stretching his hand towards Kyle. He'd seen Harry's face getting redder by the second and saw his fist clench at his side. He was pissed at Harry about this morning but he knew not to push it too far.

Kyle shook it as a look of comprehension appeared on his face, "Oh, Draco. Right. I'm so sorry about your dog."

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked towards Harry, who gave him a short nod.

"Err, Thanks."

Harry stepped up at this point, walking out from behind the counter. "I'll be right back Kyle."

He grabbed Draco's shoulder and steered him towards the corner of the room by the door.

"Did you just come here to cause trouble?" Harry growled, glaring at Draco.

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, the look of absolute innocence on his face.

Harry simply ignored him and continued to glare.

"The game was great." Draco said casually. "Real close, it was exciting to watch."

Harry sighed, "Draco, I'm sorry I didn't go. I know you don't like the fact that I'm working and that you think I'm only working because of Ginny but give it a rest already. I'm working because _I_ feel it's right. No matter how much you complain and pitch a fit about me working… I'm working and I'm not going to stop. Now I really am sorry I didn't come to the game. I bet it was brilliant but give it a rest alright? I said I was sorry."

Draco was tense the entire speech but finally relaxed a few moments later.

"Fine." He said, uncrossing his arms. "It really was brilliant."

"I bet." Harry said, giving Draco a grin, "Tell me about it later tonight, alright?"

Draco grinned back, "Of course." He slapped Harry on the back before walking over to Pansy, grabbing her around the waste once more. "Let's go."

They walked out the door, Draco giving him a wave before getting into their car. Harry watched them go, releaved when he saw them take off. Kyle walked over and stood beside Harry.

"He doesn't seem too upset about his dog." Kyle asked concerned.

Harry looked at Kyle seriously, forcing down a laugh. "He's in denial."

--

"Ugh, what a day." Harry exclaimed, collapsing onto the bench beside Ginny. Startled, she looked up to see Harry's grinning face.

"Hi." She said, smiling brightly at him before leaning up to give him a kiss. She pulled back, only to have Harry wrap his strong arms around her waste, pulling her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck while Harry slowly ran his hands up and down her sides before tangling them in her gorgeous auburn hair. He kissed her a few more minutes before pulling back, giving her a crooked grin.

"Hey." He whispered, squeezing her gently with his arms.

"Hey." She whispered back, running her fingers through his hair.

Harry leaned back against the bench, still smiling. "How was your day?"

"Good," Ginny said, "I just hung out around the house. My twin brothers are in town to visit so it was nice to spend time with them."

"That sounds like fun." Harry said before frowning, "You know, you don't have to be here with me. If they're just in town for a bit, you should go home and spend time with them."

She shook her head, "Nope, they'll be here for a week or two. Besides, I wouldn't be able to go a day without my Harry fix." She said with a sly grin.

"Fix huh?" Harry said grinning from ear to ear. "Well we'll have to make sure you get plenty of me to last you the night then."

She smiled as he leaned in, capturing her lips with his once again in a more heated kiss. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, moving in to explore her mouth as she eagerly gave him access. A good long kissing session later, they pulled apart.

"So, how was _your_ day?" Ginny asked, resting her head against his chest.

"Stressful."

"Why?" She asked, running her fingers lightly over his arm.

Harry smiled at the feeling, "I was suppose to go to a football match with Draco today and forgot I had to work. He was pissed when I bailed. Then I ended up being thirty minutes late and had to use the excuse that my dog died."

Ginny looked at him confused, "But you don't have a dog."

Harry sighed, running his hands through his hair. He gave Ginny a tired grin.

"I know but that's the excuse I used. Then Kyle went on and on about his dog he lost a few years ago and how much he loved it. I felt a bit guilty and couldn't stand the sad stories he was telling so I told him I lied."

"Did you get into trouble?"

"Err, no. I ended up lying again when he got angry… I told him it was Draco's dog that died and I had to be there for him."

Ginny snorted before bursting out laughing. "Harry, that's so wrong."

He blushed, shrugging his shoulders. "I know but… I had to tell him something that stuck to my original story. He got so offended when I told him I lied that I just had to continue with the dead dog story."

"Shame on you Potter." Ginny said giggling, shaking her finger at him.

Harry sighed, "I know, I know but I didn't want to get fired for being late. He's a bit of a stickler when it comes to being there on time and all. I had to come up with an excuse that he would buy."

"Well," Ginny said, giving an exaggerated sigh, "I _suppose_ I won't tell on you. Just as long as you promise to never do it again."

"I promise." Harry said, holding up his right hand.

She pulled him in for another kiss before looking at him quite seriously.

"Harry… there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Uh oh." He said, not liking the look of her face. "What is it?" He asked worriedly. She couldn't possibly be breaking up with him could she?

"Oh no Harry its nothing like that." She said reassuringly at the look on his face. "It's nothing bad, just…" She trailed off, biting her lower lip.

"Hey." He said, giving her a grin, "That's my job."

He playfully grabbed her lower lip between his teeth, giving it a gentle tug before letting it go.

Ginny giggled, blushing for a moment before turning serious once again.

"The thing is…" She said, a frown on her face. She was worried the news might scare him and he'd bolt. She didn't want to lose him.

"What Ginny?" Harry asked at her nervous expression. He cupped her face with his hands, giving her a gentle kiss before looking into her eyes. "What?"

She sighed, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes and blew out a breath.

"My parents want to meet you." She blurted out in a rush, her stomach knotted with nerves. After a few moments of silence she peeked open her eyes to find Harry staring at her curiously.

"They want to meet me?"

"Yes, but I mean, you don't have to. It's just, they finally got the hint I was dating someone and not going out with friends all the time and they said they would love to meet you."

Harry looked uncomfortable for a moment, shifting in his seat.

"If you don't want…" She started again but was silenced as Harry put a finger to her lips.

"Ginny…" Harry said nervously, "Do they know, about…?"

"Oh," Ginny exclaimed, realization dawning on her face. "No Harry, no I never told them. You've changed and you're sorry. As far as I'm concerned… they don't need to know."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He studied Ginny's anxious expression for a moment.

"Do you want me to meet your family?"

Ginny ducked her head, her red curtain of hair blocking her face from Harry's view.

"Ginny?" He said, lifting her chin gently with his finger. "Do you?"

"Yes." She said quietly, studying his face for any signs that he hated the idea. "I just, I care about you Harry and I'd like my parents to meet you."

Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. To tell the truth, he kind of wanted to meet Ginny's parents as well. He wanted to see where she came from, what her life at home was like. The picture in the locket intrigued him so much. One big happy family. Something, because of his childhood, he couldn't fully understand.

On the other hand, he felt so guilty about what he had done to her and her family he didn't know if he'd be able to step foot in that house. Walking Ginny to the door was one thing, but seeing inside where he'd rummaged through their things only a month or so ago… he didn't know if he could handle it.

Harry glanced at Ginny's hopeful face, coming to a decision.

He looked at her and smiled, "So when do they want to meet?"

--

**Author's Note:** Hello readers! Hope you liked the chapter. I'll try to speed up the updates so you don't have to wait so long to read the next chapter. **Review** and tell me what you think!


	18. Meet The Parents

**Chapter Seventeen: Meet The Parents**

Harry stood in his bedroom, observing himself in his full length mirror. He stood wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a light blue, long sleeve, button up shirt. He was just now in the process of trying to smooth down his impossibly unruly hair, but was failing horribly.

"Why so tense?" Draco asked, as he paused in Harry's doorway.

"None of your business." Harry growled, pressing a stubborn lock of hair to his head, which popped up a second later.

"A bit touchy are we?" Draco replied, frowning at his friend.

Harry sighed, removing his hands from his hair, "Sorry. I'm just stressed out."

"Clearly. Why?"

"I'm meeting Ginny's parents tonight."

"Really?" Draco exclaimed, laughing in delight. "Going to meet the in-laws huh?"

Harry threw him a quick glare, "Funny."

Draco snickered, walking into Harry's room and sitting on his bed. He watched at Harry pulled on a black blazer, fixing the collar as he did so.

"Why are you getting so dressed up for this?"

"I need to make a good impression, I want them to like me. I'm dating their only daughter after all. It's a big deal and I need to dress up for the occasion."

Draco snorted and stood, walking over to stand next to Harry.

"You look fine, although the jacket is a bit much. Stop being so nervous."

Harry nodded, shrugging off the coat and throwing it on his bed. He messed with his hair a second longer before giving up, "Guess that's as good as I'll get it."

He stared at the mirror for a while, making sure he had no stains on his shirt before walking into the living room. Slipping on his shoes he grabbed his keys and cell phone, pocketing them both.

"Guess I'm off."

"Have a fantastic time." Draco said sarcastically. "I couldn't think of anything better to do with my evening."

Harry ignored him, "See you later."

--

Harry pulled over to the side of the road, turning off the car. He stared up at the white Victorian house, which grew slightly bigger the more he looked at it. It was slightly daunting.

'_This is it.'_

Taking a deep breath he stepped out of the car, and began the seemingly long walk up to the front door. He turned around for a moment staring longingly at his car. He could still leave right now if he wanted to… they didn't know he was here yet.

'_No,'_ Harry thought, a hard look on his face as he turned towards the door._ 'Ginny's counting on you. If you backed out now, you'd only embarrass her. And yourself. You're meeting her family tonight. Just relax and don't blow it.'_

Blowing out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, Harry raised his fist to the door before giving a loud knock.

"I'll get it!" Came a yell from inside and in an instant, the door flew open to reveal a beaming Ginny, wearing a red, fitting halter-top with a pair of light blue denim shorts.

"Hey." She said brightly, turning to check the watch on the wall. "Perfect timing."

"It's kind of an important night." Harry said as a way of explanation. He stood on the step for an awkward moment. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sorry." Ginny said, opening the door wider for him to step inside.

"You look nice." She said, admiring him for a moment before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks." Harry said blushing slightly, giving Ginny the same attention.

"Ahem."

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused Harry to whip his head in the other direction. Standing in the entryway was another boy, who appeared to be only a few years older than himself. He had shoulder length red hair, which was a few shades brighter than Ginny's. He was tall and skinny but had some muscle to him. He must be one of Ginny's many brothers.

"Well, well, well. What have here Gred?"

Another red head stepped forward, identically to the one beside him, down to the mischievous grin on his face.

"I don't know Forge. A fair suitor for Ginny perhaps?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind them, his only means for escape gone.

"Harry, these are my twin brothers. That's Fred," Ginny said, pointing to the one on the right, "And that's George. You can tell them apart from the small mole Fred has by his ear."

George frowned at this, "Oh come on Ginny, ruin all our fun why don't you?"

Fred elbowed his twin in the side before looking calculatingly at Harry.

"Harry, blonde or brunette?"

Harry looked over to Ginny before giving them a smirk, "I prefer redheads actually."

Ginny blushed, getting what her brothers were hinting at.

"Err, Harry mate." George said awkwardly, shuffling his feet. "I'm flattered and all, but you're dating my sister…"

Fred laughed and pushed his twin lightly before walking up to Harry. "You picked a keeper Ginny! Nice taste and a sense of humor to boot. It's nice to finally meet the young man Ginny's been prettying herself up for, for the last few months."

Harry smiled politely, gripping the older teen's hand. "Nice to meet you. Both of you." He said, stepping up to shake George's hand as well, "I've heard some pretty funny stories about the two of you."

"Ah, yes, all in the name of fun of course."

"We get no enjoyment out of other peoples embarrassment whatsoever."

"Right." Ginny muttered, glaring at the two of them.

"Now Harry, down to the un-pleasantries." Fred said, as he slung an arm over Harry's shoulder.

"Now we hate to do this Harry." George continued, picking up where Fred had left off. "We wouldn't want to scare the boy Ginny's taken a rather hard fancy to. Because you seem like such a swell guy…"

"But we believe we must." Fred chimed in.

"If you ever hurt her-"

"Physically,"

"Mentally,"

"Or emotionally,"

"Ginny's got a grand totally of six brothers."

"All older." Fred added.

"There isn't a place you could hide that we wouldn't find you."

"And it wouldn't be pleasant… for you at least." George concluded, grinning at Harry.

Harry merely looked back and forth between the two, finally settling his eyes on Ginny.

She smiled, "Get used to it, they're always like this."

"I bet it gets tiring, huh?" Harry said, smirking at her as he saw the playfully indignant looks on the twins faces. He liked these two.

"Yup."

"Ah, Ginny," George said, gripping his heart.

"You wound us." Fred continued, mimicking his brother's actions.

Ginny grinned for a moment but her face suddenly turned serious. "You two be nice tonight, or else." She threatened.

"Us? Ginny we're always nice." Fred said, giving Harry a quick wink.

"Oh enough you two. Leave the poor boy alone."

Harry glanced over the twins shoulders to see a short, slightly plump woman coming up to him.

"You must be Harry." The woman said, smiling kindly at him. "I'm Molly Weasley, Ginny's mother."

Harry looked the woman over. She had medium length red hair, the sides pulled back in a hair clip. It was just a tinge lighter than Ginny's. She had warm, honey brown eyes like Ginny's and wore a loving smile.

Harry smiled back, shaking her waiting hand.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Weasley. You have a lovely home." Harry said as charmingly as he could; this was Ginny's mother after all.

"Thank you Harry." She said, smiling brightly at him. If it were anyone else, Harry would have thought the person was totally fake, smiling that much. But something about the woman's kindness told him otherwise.

"Oh, uh, these are for you." Harry said, finally giving her the small bouquet of yellow and white roses he held in his left hand.

"Oh!" Ginny's mother exclaimed, immediately taking the roses and smelling them. "Oh they're lovely Harry, thank you so much."

"Nice Harry." One of the twins said, grinning behind their mother's back.

"Yeah, way to win some brownie points with the mother."

"Dad won't be so easily swayed however."

"Yeah, you are dating his little girl after all."

"Oh nonsense." Mrs. Weasley said, glaring at the twins. "You'll be just fine." She smelt the roses one last time, before her hostess attitude came back. "Well come in, come in. Dinner is in the oven cooking. It should be ready in about twenty minutes." As she said this a worrisome expression overtook her features for a moment.

"Oh my, I never asked... Do you like beef Harry? Because if you don't I could whip you up something else, chicken perhaps…"

"Beefs fine." Harry said, smiling at her. He honestly thought he'd never met anyone more kind.

Relief flooded her features. "Oh good, good, I'm glad. Well we're all in the living room until it's ready."

She motioned for him to follow before walking into an open room to the right. "Such a lovely boy." He heard her mutter as she stepped into the other room.

Fred and George gave him one last grin and two, or really four, thumbs up before following their mother.

Harry held back, slowly gathering his courage. Her dad was most likely in there. That was the most nerve-racking thing this evening, meeting her father.

"You'll be fine." Ginny whispered to him, slipping her hand in his and giving it a small, supporting squeeze.

Harry gave her a nervous smile before marching into the living room.

Harry glanced around at the vaguely familiar surroundings. Everything was still in the same place as the last time he'd been there. Thinking this reminded him of _why _he had been there in the first place. His stomach twisted at the thought.

Fred and George sat lounging on one of the couches while Mrs. Weasley sat on another with an older man with glasses he assumed was Ginny's father. He was tall with a slender frame and appeared to be balding. He wore a gentle expression on his face as he talked to his wife and children. The older man stood when he saw Harry and Ginny enter the room.

"Harry this is my dad, Dad this is my boyfriend Harry." Ginny blushed slightly. She'd never used that title for him before, mostly because she'd never introduced Harry to anyone before now. She shyly looked at Harry, receiving a warm smile and a nod.

"It's nice to meet you Sir." Harry said, shaking the older man's hand.

"The pleasure is mine Harry. It's nice to finally put a face to the name. We've heard a lot about you."

"I've heard a lot about you and your family too." He let go of Mr. Weasley's hand, sticking his hands nervously into his pockets.

An awkward moment passed while Harry uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the other.

"Well, have a seat you two, we're just waiting till dinner's ready."

The twins and her parents squeezed onto the couch on the left while Harry and Ginny took the one on the right.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. Harry would you like something to drink? Juice? Pop?"

"Oh, uh, juice would be great, any kind."

She smiled at him, "Alright, coming right up." She asked Ginny and the others what they would like before bustling off into the kitchen.

They sat in silence for a few moments until Mrs. Weasley returned with the drinks.

"So Harry…" Mr. Weasley began, putting down his drink.

"Uh-oh, now begins the interrogation. This'll be fun."

"Quit it you two. There'll be nothing of the sort." Mr. Weasley said sternly to the twins before turning to look at an obviously nervous Harry.

"Relax Harry, we won't bite." He smiled at Harry, trying to ease the young man.

Harry's muscles relaxed the tiniest bit as he gave them an anxious smile.

"What do you like to do for fun?"

"Oh, well… I go out a lot with my friends. When I'm not working that is."

"You've joined the work force huh? Where do you work?"

"Blockbusters."

"That's interesting, why do you work there?"

Harry shrugged, "Decent wage and I like movies a lot, thought it would be a solid job."

Another uncomfortable silence passed.

"How'd you meet Ginny?" Fred asked, trying to get the conversation moving.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously, his eyes flickering to Ginny.

"We met at the bookstore." Ginny replied, saving Harry from answering. "He'd been subtly hanging around where I was sitting, pretending that he wasn't looking at me but it was completely obvious that he was." She grinned at Harry, who grinned right back.

"Hey, in my defense - "

"You don't really have one Harry." She laughed while looking at her parents. "He was harmless though, I thought it was rather cute."

"Brilliant. Ginny found herself a stalker!" George smirked.

"George…" Mr. Weasley said warningly while trying to change the subject. "Any particular places you've taken her?"

"Well, there's this restaurant I go to all the time. She really loves the burgers and such there." He flashed the redhead a grin, and then glanced back at the wooden table in front of them. "It's kind of out of the way, but I've known the owner forever. And we go to the park a lot, just to relax. We've been to a few other restaurants and the movies too."

"How long have you lived here?"

"Seven years."

"Wow, that's quiet a while. We've only lived here for the past five. Do you like living in London?" He asked casual, taking yet another sip of his drink.

"Yeah, it's great. I love living in the heart of the city. There's never a dull moment. "

Mr. Weasley laughed, "Too right Harry. I also lived in the city growing up. Where do you live?"

"In an apartment downtown." Harry answered vaguely.

"What do your parents do?" Mrs. Weasley asked innocently. Ginny had obviously not told them much about his past, which he supposed was a good thing.

"Oh, uh…" Harry scratched the back of his neck. "They're not around."

"Business?"

"Err no. There're, well, they past away when I was young."

Mrs. Weasley's smile vanished, as pity slowly crept onto her face. Harry sighed, he hated pity.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dear, I didn't mean to pry…"

Harry shook his head, "It's okay Mrs. Weasley, you didn't know. They died a year after I was born, in a car crash… I didn't know them."

"Well who do you live with now then? Relatives?"

"Uh no. I'm emancipated. I live with a mate of mine I've had for a few years." Harry said, not wanting to get onto the subject of the Dursley's.

"Oh." Was all she could say as she leaned back into her seat.

Harry was saved from further discussion on this topic by a loud clonking noise from someone coming down the stairs

"Here comes Ron." Ginny announced to the room, causing Fred and George to start laughing.

Harry glanced up to see a boy about his age standing awkwardly in front of them. He was tall and lanky, giving the impression that he was quiet clumsy. He had some build to him but was still fairly skinny. He had red-orange hair like his father and the twins but it was cut short just above his ears.

"Really Ronald. You should learn to be quieter coming down those stairs." Mrs. Weasley chimed him lightly.

"Yeah _Ronald_." One of the twins added.

The boy's ears turned red, clearly embarrassed. It probably didn't help he was being teased in front of company.

"Ron," Ginny started, gesturing to Harry. "This is Harry. Harry that's my brother Ron. He's seventeen too."

"Hey." Harry said, giving him a nod.

"Hey." Ron replied, nodding back before making his way to a chair.

"Well, I've got to go take a look at the food. Would you mind helping me Arthur?"

"Of course." Mr. Weasley said, getting up. "Excuse us Harry, we'll be back in a few minutes." He walked out of the room but not before turning towards the twins. "You two behave."

"_Of course_ Dad." They both chorused, giving him their best innocent looks.

"I mean it." warned once more, before retreating into the kitchen.

As soon as the adults left, Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry.

"So you're Ginny's new boyfriend?"

"Yes." Harry said, nonplussed.

Ron looked him over as if sizing him. He then turned to the twins. "Think I could take him?" He said, loud enough for Harry to hear, which Harry supposed was his intention. He was getting the impression Ron was trying to intimidate him.

Harry snorted, "You could try if you'd like."

Ron looked back at him with a calculating look.

"Sorry about him Harry." Ginny said, giving him a shrug, "He's the most protective out of the lot."

"I have every right to be Ginny." Ron said, "You're my baby sister…"

"Then why don't Fred and George act the same way? They're my brothers too."

"Because they don't go to school with you and therefore don't have to watch a bunch of bloody gits drool over you or hear their comments."

"Ron," George said, speaking up. "Ginny can take care of herself."

"Yeah, remember that neighbor we had who tried to cop a feel off Ginny? He had that bloody great shiner for two weeks!"

Harry choked on his drink laughing.

"What?" He managed to choke out, while Ginny pounded his back.

Ginny smirked, "The dolt was asking for it."

Harry shook his head, she sure was feisty.

"I don't fancy getting the crap beat out of me by her so I think she's safe."

"Fred! George! Come in here a moment." Came a yell from the kitchen.

Fred sighed, "See you lot in a bit, we've been summoned."

"Behave yourselves."

The twins quickly left the room, leaving the trio alone.

Ron continued to glare at Harry.

"Look," Harry started, wanting to get along with all of Ginny's family, "I'm not going to do anything to your sister."

"That's what they all say."

Next to him, he saw Ginny roll her eyes.

"Give it a rest Ron."

"No Ginny, I don't want you getting mixed up with the wrong sort."

"Harry isn't-"

"It's my duty, as your brother, to protect you from older guys. They… they want different things Ginny. He could be just using you." Ron continued, his ears once again turning a bit pink at what he was implying. Harry merely sat, staring back and forth between the two.

"Bloody hell Ron. I'm not a naïve little girl. Like Fred and George said, I can take care of myself. And what I do with Harry, or anyone else for that matter, is none of your business."

"But…"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course Ginny, it's _him_ I don't trust." Ron said, motioning to Harry with his head, giving him a hard look.

"Well you can trust him Ron, he's not a bad guy. Just give him a chance. And who are you giving me advice on relationships anyway… When's the last time you were in one?"

"I'll have you know, I've dated…"

Ginny laughed, "I said a relationship Ron. That does not count you snogging Lavender Brown behind the bleachers at school…"

Ron sat gaping for a moment, face beat red before sputtering off. "That's not the point…"

"The point is that Mum, Dad and the twins have met Harry and haven't given him a hard time. They're giving him a chance and you need to do the same."

"But…"

Ginny grinned evilly, "Do I need to go tell Mum?"

Ron immediately stopped talking, crossing him arms in a huff.

"Err, look, Ron." Harry started a few minutes later, having just watched them argue back and forth. "I'm not going to do anything to your sister. Believe me, losing Ginny is the last thing I want."

"Why's that?"

"Well for one, I care about her." Harry said, giving Ginny a smile, "And two well, Ginny's helped me in a lot of ways. She's a good influence."

"How?" Ron asked, slightly intrigued.

"Well, I wasn't, uh, the most responsible guy when I met your sister and she's helped straighten me out."

"What do you mean?"

"You know." Harry answered feebly. At Ron's raised eyebrow, Harry sighed. He supposed telling Ron a bit wouldn't hurt if it helped getting him off his back.

"I've gotten into my fair share of fights in the past and have done some things I'm not too proud of. I usually went to parties and clubs nearly ever night of the week, got wasted with my friends a lot…"

Harry paused, thinking how to word this.

"But when I met Ginny… Well I just changed. There was just something about her that made me want to better myself. She made me see a whole different life I could have, one that would make me happier…" Harry trailed off, staring at his shoes, a serious look on his face. A few moments later he smiled and looked at Ron. "And I have changed, for the most part." Harry shook his head, "I'm not stupid enough to mess up my relationship with Ginny, one of the only good things that has ever happened to me."

Throughout his speech Ron relaxed slightly. He could hear the sincerity in Harry's voice.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Ron thought of something.

"Why haven't I see you around school before?"

"I don't go to school."

"You mean our school."

"No I mean, I don't go to school. I got a high school equivalent a while ago."

"Oh." Was all the redhead had to say.

"Hey Harry," Ginny said, turning a bit toward him. She thought of something that just might make Ron like Harry a whole lot more. "I forgot to ask, how was that football game you went to a while back?"

"Ah." Harry exclaimed, shrugging, "It was alright I suppose. The Cannons lost but since when is that new?" Harry could see out of the corner of his eye Ron sit up straight in his chair, staring open mouthed in his direction. "It was great watching them play despite the loss though."

"_You_ like the Cannons?" Ron questioned, in awe.

"Yeah. They're horrible, but it's fun to watch them. I think this year's their year, they might actually win a game."

"Bloody hell." Ron exclaimed, mesmerized, "I've never met anyone who liked the Cannons before."

As Harry learned forward, getting into the conversation with Ron, Ginny leaned back, crossing her arms. A large grin was plastered on her face.

'_Mission accomplished.'_

Minutes flew by as the two talked about the team, Ginny sitting completely forgotten on the end of the sofa. Which was totally fine by her, she was happy Ron had finally warmed up to Harry.

"Hey, you lot." Fred said, poking his head out from the kitchen door, "Dinners on the table. Get in here before Ron eats it all."

Ron grumbled to himself before walking to the kitchen, leaving Harry and Ginny to themselves.

"Thanks Ginny." Harry said, turning to smile at Ginny.

"For what?" She replied, a twinkle in her eye.

Harry laughed, shaking his head. "For helping me out with him. I did tell you about that match."

"You did?" Ginny said, fake confusion clouding her face. She tapped her chin, pretending to think hard while a small smile played on her lips, "Huh, I guess I don't remember that."

Harry grinned, looking back to the kitchen door quickly before leaning in to give Ginny a light kiss.

"Hey Harry, you coming?" Ron said, walking back into the living room.

"Yeah, we're coming." He said, grabbing a hold of Ginny hand and leading her into the kitchen to continue the conversation with Ron.

--

"So let me get this straight, _you_ like the Cannons too?"

"_Yes_." Harry replied, chuckling lightly, "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because they suck." George continued, returning Ron's sudden glare with a grin.

"Yeah, we're partial to the Holyhead Harpies." Fred replied, looking away dreamily, "Those are some beautiful women."

"They do not suck." Ron said vehemently, "They just, ah, need to practice more."

The twins battled lightheartedly with Ron for several minutes until Mrs. Weasley ended the conversation.

"Alright you three, enough." She said, scolding them lightly. "We have company."

No other words came out of there mouth as they went back to finishing up their desert. It was apparent to Harry that they all respected Mrs. Weasley very much. That surprised him a lot. From what he'd seen with mothers and their kids throughout the years and living at home with the Dursley's, he'd never seen kids respect their parents all that much.

Ginny grew up in a good home.

"You know," Harry began, taking a bite out of his home made sundae Mrs. Weasley had made for the occasion. "I could bring you to the next game if you want. Their playing the Kenmare Kestrels of Ireland."

Ron's head whipped up, the scoop of ice cream that was aimed for his mouth plopping back into the bowl.

"Bu-but," Ron sputtered, fumbling over his words in excitement. "The game's completely sold out!"

Harry smiled, glad Ron was interested. They had talked throughout dinner and Harry came to find he was a pretty cool guy.

"I know someone who can get us some tickets. If you're interested that is…?" Harry teased slightly.

"Definitely!" Ron whooped, bumping the table in his excitement.

"Geeze Ron, calm down." Fred grumbled, some of his ice cream splattering onto his shirt.

"Wow, this is so wicked." Ron continued, grinning from ear to ear. "Mum, Dad, could I go?"

Harry watched as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley smiled at one another before turning to Ron and nodding.

"Of course, you two should have a great time." Mr. Weasley replied, smiling at them both. He was immensely glad his son and Harry were getting along. Harry was a fine young man and Ron didn't have many friends at school. Thinking of something quickly, he scooted back his chair, rising from his seat.

"I'll get you some money for the ticket Harry. How much would it cost?"

Harry shook his head, "Thanks but no thanks Mr. Weasley. I've got it."

Mr. Weasley laughed, shaking his head. "Allow me Harry. I'll pay for Ron."

"Really." Harry said, feeling a little squeamish. Paying for a ticket for Ron was the least he could do, after everything he'd done to them. Getting those repairs and replacing items he'd stolen must have cost a fortune. "Mr. Weasley, it's my treat. I'd like to pay for it."

"Alright." Mr. Weasley relented at the defiant look on the black haired teen's face. "If you're sure?"

"I'm sure." Harry said, giving the elder Weasley a smile.

"Wicked!" Ron exclaimed, sending Harry a huge grin, "The game's a week from tomorrow right?"

"Yeah. I'll get the tickets in the next couple of days."

"Brilliant." Ron said enthused yet again, shoveling a huge amount of ice cream into his mouth. His cheeks bulged as he tried to contain the large amount of food in his mouth.

Harry looked at Ron, an eyebrow raised.

"Wha?" Ron mumbled out, thankfully not hitting them with specks of food. "I like to eat."

Ginny looked on in disgust. "You know Ron, Hermione doesn't find that very appealing."

Ron's face went beat red for what seemed like the tenth time tonight. He chose not to comment.

The family and Harry continued talking and laughing with each other for the next few hours. They had all returned to the living room and, after a suggestion from Ron, ate some fresh cookies with milk.

"I'm stuffed." Ron groaned, patting his stomach.

"I think we all are." Ginny agreed, leaning back into the couch.

Harry leaned back contently with Ginny, listening as the family conversed with one another.

'_This is how a family should be_.' He noted, glancing around at them all. This is what he should have had. A nice home, a few siblings, and parents who adored them all. He was slightly jealous of the way Mrs. Weasley fussed over her children, or the way Mr. Weasley proudly looked at them all.

He smiled bitterly. It made no sense to dwell on what could have been, what he never had. Thanks to Ginny showing him that there was more to life beside drinking and thievery, he could have that… someday. As long as he changed.

Running a hand through his hair, Harry noticed the time on his watch: _9:36_. It was getting pretty late.

"I hate to say it but I should really get going…" Harry said, getting up from the couch.

"Oh, goodness yes." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, looking at the clock on the wall. "It'll take you at least a good half hour to get back into the city. I'm sorry we've kept you so long."

"Don't worry about it." Harry said, smiling at her, "I really enjoyed it. Thank you for having me."

She smiled kindly at him before surprising him with a hug.

"You're welcome dear. Thank you for coming." She let him go while Arthur stepped up, grasping Harry's hand.

"It was nice to finally meet you Harry. I see my daughter's in good hands."

"Thank you Sir, it was a pleasure to meet you." Harry replied, while looking around at them all, "All of you."

"You've already won them over Harry, you don't need to keep buttering them up." George said, smirking at the teen.

"George." Mrs. Weasley admonished lightly, sending him a hard look. "He's doing nothing of the sort. He's simply a nice young man."

And for once, Harry actually blushed, pleased by the compliment. He'd never heard anyone tell him that before.

They led him to the door, talking to him all the while.

"Come back again soon Harry, you're always welcome here." Mrs. Weasley said, before waving briefly with her husband.

"Sure, I'd like that. Thanks for dinner." He said in return. He gave a final wave and a smile before stepping out the door, Ginny in toe.

"Hang on a sec." Ron yelled from inside, before yanking the door open.

"Ron…" Ginny warned, hoping he wasn't trying to pull a big brother act and keep an eye on them.

"Sorry Ginny just a second." Ron said before looking at Harry, shuffling from one foot to the other. He seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Err, sorry about all of that before. You know, giving you a hard time and all." Ron muttered, scuffing his foot on the ground, embarrassed.

"No problem." Harry said understandingly, "You were just looking out for Ginny. If I had a sister I'd do the same thing."

Ron smiled before holding out his hand, in which Harry shook.

"You seem like a decent bloke." Ron continued, before his eyes narrowed slightly. "But that doesn't mean I won't keep an eye on you. If you hurt my baby sister, you're dead."

Ginny groaned beside the two of them, causing Harry to grin.

"I understand. But really, you don't need to worry about a thing." Ron waved goodbye, tuning around to head back inside.

"Oh, Ron." Harry said, remembering about the game. "I'll tell Ginny when I get the tickets."

Ron nodded, before making his way back inside.

Ginny grabbed Harry's hand as they slowly walked down the path to his car.

"So, did you have a good time?" Ginny asked, curious and cautious. She wanted him to like her family.

"Yeah." Harry said truthfully, stopping and turning to face her. "I really did. You're parents are great. And you're brothers are pretty cool too."

Ginny beamed, "Good, that means a lot to me."

Harry smiled, wrapping his arms around her middle, pulling her close.

"I know it does."

Ginny smiled, snaking her arms around his neck before pulling him down until their lips met. They each melted into the kiss as Harry ran his hands up her back before sliding them into her soft, auburn hair. They continued for a few more minutes until a voice broke them apart.

"I think that's long enough." They heard Ron yell from inside.

Ginny pulled away from Harry, turning to glare at the house.

"Are you watching us!?" She cried indignantly, hands on her hips. Harry was amused to find she looked just like her mother.

"Gross, no Ginny. I've been counting. Five minutes is long enough."

"Ron!" Ginny yelled warningly, before being silenced by Harry's lips.

"Good night Ginny." Harry said, a lopsided grin on his face.

Ginny smiled back, giving him one last lingering kiss.

"Good night Harry. Call me tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Harry pulled away before jumping into his car and driving towards the city lights. He surely would come back again.

--

**A/N:** Wow I don't know what to say. I'm really sorry for not updating… for months. My only excuse is I had major, MAJOR writer's block and had no idea where to go with the story. Thankfully I've got it back now and have the rest of the story planned out, chapter for chapter. All I have to do is write it. I used the Chudley Cannons as a soccer/football team in the story and an Ireland quidditch team because I know nothing of soccer and therefore, I have no clue as to what teams there are. I hope you liked the chapter! **Reviews** are always appreciated! :)


	19. Ungrateful

**Chapter Eighteen: Ungrateful**

Harry pulled open the door and stepped into the dark room. Even in the daytime Max's was completely dim. The teen walked further inside, looking around but not finding his bearded friend. He nodded to a few drunks at the counter, who were starting a little too early in his opinion, as he made his way to the back. Walking back to the kitchen door Harry pushed it aside, stepping onto the deep oak floor. He sighed as he looked around his surroundings. Things still hadn't changed. He remembered vividly the first time he had been in here, alone and desperate. He was eternally grateful for Max's hospitality and that he never once asked him about his past. Most people, if they found a kid, would have either called the cops or child services. But Max seemed to understand somewhat. He figured if he was out here, willing to live alone, he had a reason for it. Most kids wouldn't leave a comfy home in exchange for living on the streets.

Curiously, Harry walked to the closet door where he had spent his first few years away from the Dursley's. Peering inside, Harry wasn't at all surprised to find the closet the same as it had always been. Max appeared tough as nails, but inside he was a big softie. He didn't have any children himself so to a certain extent, Harry was like a surrogate son. Max had always looked after him, leaving him alone, but making sure he was ok. It had taken them a while to warm up to one another but after some time, they had gotten to know each other quite well. He'd learned a lot of useful things from Max, but most importantly, he learned how to fight. Something that Harry had needed often in his life.

His old mattress lay on the floor, along with a shoddy small nightstand Max had put in a while after he had arrived. Harry bent down, picking up his old duffle bag he had stolen from the Dursley's. Opening the flap, he pulled out some old wrappers, along with his Uncle's wallet. He grinned momentarily, knowing his Uncle would have been beyond furious to find that missing in the morning. He moved his fingers over the soft surface of the smooth leather. It had been a gift from some business associate, and meant a great deal to him.

Throwing the bag back into the corner, he turned around as he heard someone approach.

The large man before him looked up, carrying a stack of boxes in his bulky arms. He stopped, staring at Harry.

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to drop in."

Harry gave the bushy beard man a smile, "Hey Max, long time no see."

"Well, we should throw a banquet in your honor. You've finally graced us with your presence." Hefting the heavy boxes up in his arms, he turned to Harry. "Well don't just stand there. Grab some boxes, I've just gotten my supplies for the day. Some bastard forgot to deliver them this morning." Max set the boxes down, glancing at the order form on the slip. "And apparently doesn't know how to take an order either. What the hell am I going to do with four pounds of tofu?" Max boomed, shaking his head with disgust. Sighing and muttering something about the incompetence of others, he turned to Harry. He pointed with a momentarily free hand to the back door. "I've got another load you can bring in."

Harry nodded, walking quickly out back, coming in with a few boxes more than Max had.

"Eh, show off." Max grumbled before giving the teen a wide grin, accompanied with a slap on the back. "It's good to see you again Harry. Where've you been?"

"Oh, uh, I've just been busy."

"With that pretty redhead you brought in a few weeks ago?"

Harry blushed before rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Yeah, actually. She's been helping straighten me out. Keeping me out of trouble"

Max nodded, pulling open the box in front of him. He grabbed some loaves of bread, stacking them with precision on a rack.

"You've found yourself a good girl then."

Harry agreed. Ginny was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"So, I'm assuming there's a reason for your visit?"

"Yeah, there is." Harry said, walking over to a different box before pulling the canned vegetables out from it. Turning to place them on the shelves behind him, he continued. "I was wondering if you could get me tickets to the Cannon-Kestrels game next Friday."

Max picked up his razor, slicing another box open before pulling out bag after bag of nori. Shaking his head at the damn vegetarian who wrote down his orders, he glanced up at Harry.

"How many do you need?"

"Two."

Kicking the box to the side, he pulled another one forth, pulling out the contents.

"Draco going with you?"

"Uh, no. I'm going with someone else."

"Your girlfriend? She's into sports eh? You've definitely got yourself a keep there if that's the case. Any woman that'll just let a man be, watching his sports is a miracle to find."

Harry chuckled before shaking his head, "No it's not Ginny. She likes sports but I'm actually taking her brother. He's a huge fan."

Max laughed, "Yeah, those Kestrels are good."

"Err, actually he likes the Cannons."

Max laughed yet again, "So you finally found someone else who likes that lot huh?"

Harry shrugged, sending Max a grin.

"Well the tickets will be more expensive… The games completely sold out. Guess everyone wants to see the Cannons get pummeled."

Harry ignored the jab at his team, "I've got the money."

Max nodded, before taking a load off on a nearby chair.

"I'll get you the tickets tonight. Bring the money for them and make sure you have a good amount with you. This is coming from my pocket."

"Alright, thanks a lot Max."

He waved it off. "No trouble at all Harry. Wouldn't want to mess up you getting in good with her family after all."

Harry gave him a sheepish grin, before turning and heading out to the bar, "See you tonight."

--

Harry pulled over, parking his car along side the rain soaked road. He quickly jumped out the car before jogging under the shelter a nearby building provided. Pulling his cap out of his back pocket, he put it on, hoping it would protect himself somewhat against the rain that fell freely from the sky. It was about four o'clock. He was on his way to pick up Ginny when Max called, telling him he had the tickets. He figured he'd pick them up before going to the Weasley's so Ron could see his ticket. He figured the redhead would be jazzed about it. Harry squinted up at the sky, frowning. Dark clouds loomed above as the rain pelted the pavement below harder as the seconds past. He and Ginny had planned to go to the park but he supposed that idea was shot now, unless they wanted to go swimming.

Making a run for it, Harry made his way down the alley, his feet splashing water with each step he took. Making his way to the door, he hustled inside, clothes soaking yet. With waterlogged shoes he headed up to the counter where Max stood, leaving behind a trail of water induced footprints.

"Hey Max, here's the money." He said, placing the cash on the counter.

"And here's your tickets." He replied, handing the tickets to Harry, a mischievous grin on his face.

Harry glanced at Max, eyebrow raised at his expression.

"Take a look at your ticket."

Curiously, Harry looked down at his ticket, not seeing anything significant about it until his eyes landed on the seats. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock.

"Front row center! Max, how'd you manage to score these?"

Max chuckled at the amazed look on the black haired teen's face.

"Just happened to know the right people." He said, a wide smile on his face.

"Yeah but, you got these within a day, and the game was completely sold out. Hell, I was expecting back row seats. Nothing this good."

"Sounds to me like you're complaining," Max teased, "If you don't want them, you could give them back…"

"Hell no!" Harry laughed, excitement written all over his face. Just wait until Ron saw.

"I didn't think so." Max chuckled once again, before getting back his gruff persona. A few customers were looking at him rather oddly, he didn't want them thinking they could pull anything by his nice attitude.

"Well, enjoy your tickets." He said, giving Harry one last smile before glaring out at the customers.

Harry held the tickets delicately in his hand for a long moment, then placed them securely in his front pocket.

Readjusting his cap, Harry pushed the door open before making his way back up the street.

"Nice car." He heard a rough voice say up ahead. He looked up to see three figures in the distance, one figure standing opposite them.

The lone figure ignored the lot, locking his car before turning to Harry's direction.

"Not gonna answer us pretty boy?" One of the individuals shouted to the figure's retreating back as his friends chortled beside him.

Again the figure ignored them, merely walking down the street.

"Hey!" One of the men shouted in a gruff voice, before charging up to the figure. Taking him by surprise, the man pushed the figure up against the wall. "I'm talking to you pretty boy and I don't like to be ignored."

The figure pushed the man off before taking a hard swing at him.

"I wouldn't mess with me if I were you." A familiar voice said warningly to the group.

Harry sighed upon hearing that. Did Draco ever _not_ get into trouble?

He watched as another man tried to sneak up behind the blonde, fist raised.

"Draco, behind you!" He shouted, causing the teen to whip around.

He punched the oncoming attacker in the stomach, making the man keel over in pain. Kicking him once in the groin, he avoided a swing from the third member of the group.

Rushing up to them Harry pulled Draco back before standing beside him.

"What do you want?" He said in a low, threatening voice.

"We'll take that car for starters," The leading man said, wiping off blood that was pouring freely out of his nose. "Then we'll kick your asses."

The man before them was tall and burly. He had brown hair, matching stubble and menacing dark blue eyes that seemed to nearly blend in with the twilight slowly coming down around them. He cracked his knuckles threateningly, his muscular arms flexing in the little light that shinned down through the clouds. He took a step forward as two figures flanked him. The one to the right was tall and thin. He had long black hair that was matted down by the rain and clung to his face. He had rough, calloused skin that suggested he'd had one hell of a hard life. A lit cigarette hung from his mouth as the smoke wisped into the air above him making him reek. The man to the left of the two was the shortest of the three and slightly fat. He had slicked back blonde hair and had a rat-like look to him that reminded Harry a lot of Piers, one of Dudley's minions. He glared at the two of them through narrow slits, baring his teeth like a dog.

And of course, there was one characteristic they all shared.

They were piss drunk.

"Over my dead body." Draco replied snidely, taking a defensive pose.

The brunette smirked, taking another step forward, "Well I guess we'll have to fix that little problem then won't we boys?"

The pair beside him laughed, taking a step forward as well.

"When I say, we make a run for the car and get the hell out of here." Harry whispered, backing up slightly to give them more time.

Draco scoffed, "No way. They're asking for it."

"Draco…"

"Come on Potter, we can totally take these guys." He looked sideways at his companion, "What? That chick of your's change you so much you're a peace keeper now? Forgot how to fight?"

Harry growled, hating when Draco brought up Ginny like that.

"Not exactly a way keep me here to help you Malfoy."

Draco smirked, "You know you want to."

Harry sighed, taking another step back as the three advanced.

"You don't always have to fight Draco, let's just go. These guys are trouble."

But Draco ignored him, "You with me or not?"

In front of them the black haired man snickered in a high, raspy voice, "Look guys, they're scared of us. They look like they're gonna shit their pants." He grinned at the two teens, showing yellow teeth with more missing then there were present. He took one last long drag from his cigarette, before flicking it to the ground. "Time to play."

Draco advanced first, taking the man slightly by surprise. He raised his fist, slamming it into the man's stomach before sending another direct hit to the man's face. There was a sickening crunch as the man's nose broke. He stumbled backwards screaming in pain.

The brunette charged towards Draco, throwing a hit at the his blonde friend's face. Malfoy ducked, avoiding the hit, before bringing up his fist to punch the man in the gut. The brunette stumbled backwards, momentarily nauseous before spinning quickly. As he spun, he lifted his foot off the ground, kicking Draco square in the face. Blood spewed from his mouth, as Draco hit the ground… hard.

Harry turned to see Draco lying on the ground as the brunette kicked him once again but this time connecting with his gut. Rage fueled him as he quickly punch the fat man's face twice, hearing something crack before the man fell to the ground. He quickly turned to the brunette, sending his fist flying towards the man's flank, a direct hit to his unguarded kidneys. The man groaned in pain and stepped back to avoid another one of Harry's punches.

Dark blue eyes locked on Harry as the man tried the same kick that was done to Draco but the black haired boy quickly moved out of the way, punching the man once again in the side. He then punched upward, throwing the man's head back before punching him quickly in the groin. With a well placed kick, he smashed his foot into the brunette's face, knocking him to the ground.

The dark haired man, fighting the pain from his broken nose, came flying towards him. Harry stepped to the side, avoiding the man's charge. As the man turned around to face him, Harry smacked his fist into the man's nose emitting another deafening scream. He then crouched to the ground quickly and kicked, sweeping the man's feet out from underneath him, effectively putting him out of the fight as the thin man knocked his head against the pavement.

Harry wiped blood from his lip, not remembering how he got it, but must have sometime during the fray. He turned slowly, surveying the damage. The brunette lay on the ground, struggling to get up. The man he had just fought lie out cold on the ground, most likely passing out from the pain. He looked for the third man, the blonde, but couldn't find him.

Harry turned, looking for Draco, when he saw the third man creeping up to his friend, something long and thin in his hands. Judging by the two hands the man used to hold up the weapon, Harry knew it was heavy and would most likely kill, or at the very least, severely injure whatever part of Draco it came into contact with. Draco lay curled up on the ground, barely moving, and therefore did not see the man coming.

Quickly looking around, Harry found an empty beer bottle lying a few feet away. He jumped for the bottle before picking it up. Craning his arm back he whipped it at the stranger, hitting him straight in the face.

The noise of glass shattering upon impact was heard, followed by a scream that erupted from the man's throat. Shards of glass were impeded in the man's pale skin, cutting even deeper into his flesh the more he clawed at it. Having enough time, Harry jumped over Draco's prone body, chopping the man's wrist, making the weapon he had fall to the ground. He grabbed the man roughly by the shoulders, before shoving his head into a nearby brick wall, knocking him unconscious.

Harry breathed deeply, slightly out of breath. He quickly walked over to Draco and examined the damage. His friend was hurt and dazed but nothing serious, he just needed time. Curious his eyes flashed to the weapon the fat man had wanted to hit Draco with and cringed at what he saw. A pipe. That surely would have killed the stormy eyed teen. Harry grabbed Draco's arm and heaved his friend up, slinging Draco's arm over his shoulders, half dragging the blonde towards the car.

Pushing Draco into the Porsche, he hopped into the driver seat. Harry slammed on the gas, tires screeching behind them as they sped off down the street. A block or two later, he stopped the car.

Rain spattered the window as the car was drowned in silence. Harry turned to Draco, who seemed to be coming around.

"Ugh," Draco groaned, clutching his aching head. "I feel like shit."

Draco shook his head lightly, before leaning back and closing his eyes. He smirked before saying, "I knew we could take them."

Emerald eyes flashed with fury as Harry glared at Draco.

"_We_ didn't do anything." Harry snarled at the blonde, livid. "_I_ saved your bloody arse when you went into a fight that was _way_ over your head. You were so fucking arrogant Draco, thinking you could take on three guys at once, that you nearly got yourself killed for it. And you also put _me_ in danger with that attitude."

"I was fine…"

"No, you were almost dead if I hadn't stopped that guy from pummeling you with the pipe he had picked up."

Draco jeered, "I could've taken them on just fine." He said stubbornly.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, irate with the idiot beside him. Draco was so immature.

"I've got to go, my car's back there and I have some things to do." Harry said, pushing open the door. He paused before getting out, staring at the slightly muddy road below him, watching as the liquid formed around his shoe, "Go home and stay out of trouble. You're so bloody immature and I put up with it all the time. Making cracks about Ginny when you know I care about her, always bitching about one thing or another, getting into fights... you never give it a rest. Grow up already. It's a cocky and ungrateful attitude like that that's going to get you killed one day Malfoy. I won't be there to bail your sorry arse out forever."

With that he got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. Jogging down the block, he avoided the alley with the men, not wanting to get into another fight, and found his car. Getting inside, he turned on the ignition and sighed as he looked at the clock. He was already ten minutes late picking up Ginny, and had a ways to go to get to her house.

--

**A/N:** Another chapter completed. I hope there weren't too many errors and it flowed together smoothly. I'm a bit tired and don't really feel like rereading the whole thing but I want to post it for you guys. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and thanks for the reviews. I'll post the next part soon. Please **review **and tell me what you think! :)


	20. Reconcile

**Chapter Nineteen: Reconcile**

Harry stuck his hands in his pockets as he sprinted to the red door in front of him. Knocking loudly, he shifted from foot to foot, trying to keep warm. The adrenaline rush he had gotten from the fight had now completely warn off and he finally noticed how cold he was.

Shaking slightly, he looked up when the door opened, seeing Ginny in a blue, short sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Bloody hell Harry." She exclaimed, ushering him inside, "You're completely soaked." Upon further examination she saw his split lip, "What happened to you?"

"Nothing." Harry said evasively, not really wanting to elaborate on the fight right at the moment. "I just got into a bit of a fight." He shrugged, "No big deal."

Ginny frowned at him and opened her mouth to say something but it was not Ginny's voice he heard.

"Ginny, who was at the…" Mrs. Weasley walked into the room, her eyes landing on the wet and trembling Harry. "Harry dear, what on earth… Oh, you poor thing." She quickly rushed over to him before dragging him further inside. Grabbing a towel from a basket on the kitchen table, she quickly wrapped it around him. "Are you alright?"

Harry smiled, touched by the woman's kindness.

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley. It's just a bit of rain that's all."

He stood still as she scrutinized him for a few moments, either not seeing or not commenting on his split lip. Both ways he was grateful.

"Wow what the bloody hell happened to you? You look like a drowned rat." A male voice commented from his right.

Harry looked up (after having been placed in a chair by Mrs. Weasley) to find Ron standing before them.

"Ronald." Mrs. Weasley chimed him lightly, "Language."

"Sorry." He said, not really paying attention to her as he came to sit at the table. He looked at Harry for a few moments, watching him dry of his hair before spotting his split lip. What was that about?

"Uh, Mum, maybe Harry would like some tea or something. He looks a bit cold."

Mrs. Weasley looked up, "Good idea. I'll put some tea on the kettle." She fussed over him a moment longer before walking into the kitchen.

"So what's up with the lip? Get into a fight or something?" Ron said a bit eagerly.

Harry sighed, giving him a crooked smile as Ginny sat down next to him.

"Yeah. Some guys jumped my friend and I figured I'd help him out."

"Wicked." Ron said admiringly, staring at him. "Did you win?"

"Ron." Ginny reprimand, rolling her eyes.

Harry laughed but nodded, "Yeah, we won. Nothing too serious happened to us. Although, it could have…" He shuddered a bit thinking about what Draco would have looked like after that pipe smashed into him. The visual was not pretty.

"And the other guys?"

"Uh," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "Let's just say they could use a brief trip to the hospital."

Ron merely stared, "Brilliant."

Harry looked to Ginny, who gazed at him with worried eyes.

"You ok?"

Harry smiled and nodded, placing his hand over hers on the table.

"I'm fine, really." He said comfortingly.

Ginny smiled, giving his hand a light squeeze before letting go as her mother walked back into the kitchen.

"Here you are Harry." She said, placing the tea straight in his hands before handing some to Ginny and Ron. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, I'm fine thank you."

Mrs. Weasley nodded before going back to folding the laundry that was on the table.

"Are you two going out tonight?" She asked. Not trying to pry but she was just curious.

"Yeah, I mean, that was the plan. If Ginny still wants to that is."

"Yeah, of course." She said, before glancing out the window. "Although, our park idea is probably not so good anymore."

"Yeah, I realized that." Harry said, gesturing to his clothes.

She grinned at him before sticking out her tongue in a teasing way.

"Well just go somewhere indoors then." Ron answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We could…" Ginny said, thinking about where they could go, "But we just ate, I don't really feeling like eating, do you?" At Harry's gestured no, she continued, "And we just went to a movie yesterday."

"You could stay here if you don't want to go out." Mrs. Weasley suggested, turning to smile at Harry, "You're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like."

At Ginny's subtle shake of the head, he smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley but I was kind of thinking we could go to the mall."

"Shopping? You want to go shopping with a girl? Are you mad?" Ron said, a look of pure dislike on his face at the mere thought.

Harry shrugged, "I need to pick up some things and if we get hungery, we could grab a bite to eat."

"Alright." Ginny said, standing up, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Harry said, standing up as well. He looked down as drops of water fell to the floor beneath him. He looked up sheepishly, "Sorry."

Mrs. Weasley waved him off, "It's just water, it'll clean up easily. You two have a good time." She turned to the basket beside her, "Ron, you can help me with the chores."

"Oh goody." He mumbled under his breath, reaching to grab the basket from her.

Harry felt a bit bad for just leaving him to do work but this was his day with Ginny. He did have something that would cheer the redhead up however.

"Hey Ron." Harry said, reaching into his front pocket. He pulled out a soggy ticket and carefully handed it to him, "Don't lose that, it cost me a pretty penny."

Confused, Ron gingerly took the ticket and read the writing.

His head shot up as he noticed what it was.

"Wicked! You managed to snag the tickets."

Harry grinned, "Yeah, check the seat why don't you?"

Ron glanced down, searching for the seat information. His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he saw, he mouth dropping open.

"Front row center!?" He nearly yelled in excitement and disbelief

"Yup." Harry said, smirking largely.

"No way!" Ron shouted exuberantly. He glanced up at Harry, "How did you manage to bag these?"

Harry laughed, "I got it from a friend. I was just as shocked as you are when I saw them. I thought we'd get something in the back row, maybe in the middle but when I saw front row center, I nearly fell over."

Ron laughed, holding the ticket preciously in his hand as if it were a baby.

Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley, "Thanks you for the tea ma'am." He then turned to the red haired boy beside him, "See you Friday Ron, I'll pick you up at ten o'clock sharp." Harry waved shortly before Ginny grabbed his hand, heading out the door.

Darting to the car, trying to avoid the rain as much as possible, Ginny climbed inside, slamming the door shut as Harry did the same. Harry immediately turned on the car, putting the heater on full blast before he leaned back, turning his head to look at Ginny.

"Hi."

"Hi." She replied, a grin on her face. She moved forward slightly, capturing his lips in an intense kiss. Harry moaned, placing his hand on her face to give the kiss more force. He slid the other around her waist, resting it lightly on her hip. Ginny moved her hands upward, one traveling into his hair, while the other rested lightly on his chest. She moved forward, throwing a leg over Harry's hips so she straddled his waist.

Groaning, Harry circled both hands around her waist, traveling them up her back before pulling her even closer to him. He probed her lips with his tongue, receiving access to her mouth. The kiss turned to one fueled with passion as they continued for what seemed like days. Harry pulled back however after a few extreme minutes.

Breathing heavily, he rested his forehead against Ginny's, staring into her rich, brown eyes.

Ginny smiled, resting her hand against his cheek before leaning in for another tender kiss. She bit his bottom lip lightly before pulling back, resting her head against his. Her heart swelled with warmth as she stared at his content face. He made her so happy.

They sat like that for several minutes, each lost in each other's eyes before Ginny pulled back a little. She leaned against the steering wheel but still remained in his arms.

"So, do you really want to go shopping?" She asked with a flirtatious grin.

"Not really no." Harry said, grinning right back, "Now I get why you didn't want to stay at your house."

Ginny laughed, sounding like music to Harry's ears. He loved her laugh but then again he was a bit biased. He loved everything about her.

"I think that would have been a bit awkward if we started this right in the middle of the living room for all to see. Especially Ron, that wouldn't have gone over too well."

Harry chuckled, "What? Are you worried he'd get all protective and try to beat me up?"

Ginny shook her head, "No, I'm worried he'd get all protective and you'd beat _him_ up."

Harry snickered lightly before moving in to give her a quick kiss.

"So where _do_ you want to go?"

"I don't know." Ginny said, looking outside, arms still circled around his neck. "It's still raining pretty hard, and I don't think it's letting up anytime soon. Where could we go?"

Harry thought for a moment, "We could go back to my place."

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him, "Are you insinuating something Mr. Potter?"

Harry blushed deeply, the first time he had when with a girl and thinking about _that_.

He shook his head, "No, not at all. I just figured I could show you my place, you're always asking about it. We could watch a movie there or something."

"Or something." She repeated, a sly smirk on her face.

Harry gulped, getting a little hot. "Or something."

Ginny giggled quietly to herself before getting off his lap and returning to her seat.

"Let's go to your place then. We can spend a few hours there at the very least." She replied, turning on the radio.

"Alright." He shifted the car into gear before driving back towards the city.

--

"Well here we are." Harry said, pulling out his keys and unlocking the door.

They stepped inside and Harry flicked on the light, throwing his phone and keys on the table. Taking off his sopping wet cap, he turned to Ginny, "I'll be right back, make yourself comfortable."

Nodding her head, she watched as he made his was down a short hallway, entering a room on the left. As he was in the back room, she surveyed her surroundings.

A long, black couch and matching chair sat around a big screen TV. A bookshelf stood against one of the walls along with a computer desk. A green carpeted pool table sat behind the sofa and a mini refrigerator was pushed up against the side of the TV. Video games lay thrown hazardless on the floor, a nearly brand new PS3 next to them. Ginny walked over to a low shelf next to the TV, looking at the collection of movies he had.

"Harry, what took you so long? Where'd you-"

Ginny spun around to find a blonde haired teen standing before her, a bowl in his hand and a spoon hanging out of his mouth. He stared at her for a long moment, unblinking.

"Uh, hi." She said awkwardly. "Draco right?"

She didn't receive a response as he continued to look at her, confused.

Finally after several seconds he took the spoon and lowered it from his mouth.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm-"

"Sorry about that Ginny." Harry called from the hall, "The cap was soaking wet, I had to hang it up along with the rest of my clothes." He smiled, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a fresh, white t-shirt before walking into the tension filled room.

"Hey Draco." Harry said, a bit of an edge to his voice, "You know Ginny right?"

Draco nodded.

"Well, it's raining out, so we figured we'd stay in for a few hours until I bring her home." He wrapped an arm around Ginny, before glancing back up at Draco, giving him a challenging look.

"Alright." Draco said, "I'll, uh, just leave for a bit then…"

"Oh no," Ginny exclaimed looking at Draco, "Really, you don't have to go, we're just going to watch some TV for a while. I don't want to be an hindrance."

Draco looked up to Harry as Harry looked to Ginny. She smiled at him reassuringly and nodded. She didn't want Draco to feel any more animosity towards her than he already did. If he left he'd just feel even more negatively towards her. She would have chased him out of his own house.

"Ginny, why don't you pick out a movie to watch? Draco and I are going to go get some food in the kitchen." Harry said as he walked up to Draco, grabbing his arm and dragging him off.

As they entered the kitchen Harry turned on Draco, stepping up to the teen. "If you make her feel uncomfortable at all, I'll kick your ass."

"Hey I didn't…"

"No, not yet but you will." Harry breathed deeply, running a hand through his hair, "Look, I know you don't like her but her family was great towards me. I _do not_ want her to feel unwelcome here, in my home. Understand?"

Draco nodded, knowing he shouldn't push it with Harry, not today. He'd already pulled enough crap out at Max's with those guys and Harry was still pissed about that.

Harry stared at him hard for a long moment before nodding, confident that he'd be nice. "Get some popcorn will you?" He asked before making his way out of the kitchen.

Draco sighed, throwing his spoon in the sink with a bit of aggravation. Walking up to the cabinet, he pulled out the popcorn before tossing it into the microwave. He leaned against the counter as it popped, deep in thought. He figured he should be a bit nicer to Ginny… for Harry's sake. He was his best mate after all, and was only going to put up with Draco being a git for so long. He was already pissed off at him enough as it was, he didn't need him even more angry. And Harry was right, he'd never really given Ginny a chance. He just immediately disliked her. But how could he not? She was changing his best friend. Even though it was Harry's choice, she was still influencing him to be different.

But, even so, maybe she wasn't all that bad. Maybe it really was Harry's idea to change, not hers. She obviously liked him enough to date him, so why would she want to change him, the guy she liked? He sighed again, running a hand through his silky blonde hair. He had to give her a chance at least, so then, if she really was the shrew he thought her to be, he could rightly say he disliked her.

Draco immerged from the kitchen a few minutes later to find Harry and Ginny lying wrapped up on the couch. They sat up a bit straighter as he entered but Harry still kept his arm around her shoulders and she still sat curled up beside him. He frowned at them as he realized they were on his couch. Harry usually took the chair, Draco the couch. It's the way it had always been. The reasonable side of his brain tried to suggest that they had to take the couch. The chair was too small for two and he did _not_ want to see them sharing it. But being Draco, he squashed the thought immediately, frowning at the pair. He had just started giving her a chance not more than five minutes ago and she was already blowing it.

'_Strike one.'_

Draco walked over to them, handing Harry a bowl of popcorn and setting his own on the table next to the chair. He then walked over to the fridge and pulled out two cans of coke. He shut it quickly before thinking twice. Sighing, he pulled out a third and stood up, tossing Harry's to him before grudgingly turning to Ginny.

"Want one?" He asked shortly, offering her the drink.

"Yeah, thanks." She said, giving him a brief smile.

Draco saw Harry looked at him, a steely glint in his eyes with an expectant expression on his face.

"You're welcome." He said, flashed her a tight, strained smile before flopping down on the chair.

Draco cracked open his coke and took a long swig, wishing it was something else entirely. He glanced beside him and saw the pair snuggle further into the couch. His face twisted into repulsion as he continued watching, not paying attention at all to the movie as the opening credits played. Why bother? It was probably some stupid chick flick anyways. He watched as they whispered quietly to each other and cringed at the obnoxious noise she made when she giggled. He saw them feed one another a piece of popcorn and that was enough for him to look away. It made him want to throw up a little. Harry was so whipped.

Draco turned to the TV, completely surprised to see the _Fast and the Furious_ playing.

"I thought you weren't going to pick the movie Harry." Draco questioned.

"I didn't pick it, Ginny did." He said, barely glancing at Draco.

Shocked, Draco turned and caught Ginny's eye.

She grinned, "Growing up with six brothers, you kind of get hooked on this type of stuff."

"You have six brothers?" Draco asked floored. It just went to show how little he knew of the girl he 'supposedly' hated.

"Yeah." She said, "I'm the only girl."

"Wow," Draco said, "That's gotta be tough."

Harry laughed, "Tough for _them_ you mean. Ginny could, and has from what I gather, given her brothers a bruise or two in the past."

"Hey, I don't hurt them." Ginny said with an indignant look, "I just put them in their place when they tease me."

Harry laughed again.

"Well, it obviously worked didn't it? They're terrified of you when you get that threatening look in your eye."

Ginny smirked and said something Draco couldn't quite hear before turning back to the screen.

Draco leaned back, looking at, but not really seeing the screen. It was surprising to hear she had six brothers, and even more surprised that she could hold her own against them. He thought she was just a stuck up princess that wouldn't want to break a nail. Maybe he did need to give her a chance.

--

Two hours later the movie ended, leaving the trio sitting on the couch staring at a blank screen.

"I love that movie."

Ginny laughed, "What guy doesn't love watching people drive fast cars and blow things up?"

Harry sent her a fake offended look, "Hey, I'll have you know I liked watching the Notebook."

Ginny snorted, "I know you did, I was there when you started crying."

"You _cried?_" Draco asked, sending a bewildered look at Harry.

Harry glared, "_No_, I did not cry. She's just joking." He turned to her, flicking her arm as punishment. He then became serious for a moment, "That was a really sad movie though."

The room became silent, no movie to filling it with noise. Harry and Ginny merely held one another, curled up on the couch while Draco sat awkwardly on the chair, feeling as if he were intruding. Which was ridiculous, this was his flat.

None then less, he felt weird about being there. Whenever he brought a girl over, Harry was always decent enough to leave the two of them alone and go out for the night. Maybe he should return the gesture. It might win him a few points back with Harry after earlier at Max's.

"Well, I'll see you in a few." Draco said, rising from the chair.

"Where you going?"

"I don't know, just out for a bit."

"Alright, see you later."

Draco just nodded.

As he grabbed his phone and keys he turned around.

"We still heading to the mall next week?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, we haven't been there in a while. I'd like to check some things out."

Draco nodded once again, pulling on his jacket.

"What mall are you going to?" Ginny asked curiously.

"The one on Hangly."

"Really?" Ginny asked, excitement in her voice, "Oh it's a blast to go there. We usually don't make it up there that often, us living on the outskirts and all. There are a ton of places much closer." Ginny leaned back smiling in reminisce, "I think the last time I was there was when I was fourteen."

"Really?" Harry asked, "Why so long? You could go up there, it's not like it's hours away."

Ginny shook her head, "No but mix the drive with traffic and it takes a while to get up there. We never really have that bad of a reason to go, so we never do."

Draco reached for the door before stopping. Turning around, he grudgingly said, "You could, erm, go with us if you want."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise; he hadn't expected that one.

"I don't want to intrude…"

Draco shook his head, "It's fine, we were just going to go hang out a bit. The more the merrier."

He watched as the couple exchanged a long look before smiling and nodding.

"Alright." Ginny said, excitement still seeping into her voice, "Sure, I'd love to go."

Draco nodded before turning around and opening the door.

"See you tomorrow morning Harry." He turned back around for a quick second, looking at the redhead, "Later Ginny."

As the door shut behind him, Harry and Ginny shared a bemused glance.

"What the hell was that?"

--

**A/N:** The Half Blood Prince came out… finally! :D I went to the twelve o'clock showing and all fifteen theaters were sold out. Anyone else seen the movie yet? I thought it was pretty good. They tweaked some stuff (some which I didn't particularly care for) but it was good none the less. Done rather well and the acting was great. My third favorite movie out of the six. I thought the 5th movie sucked and the 4th wasn't much better than that. But this one was a major improvement. I don't want to give anything away incase you're a movie fan and have not read the books so I'll just say this. I thought Ron was great in it and Lavender was funny, along with Harry and the liquid luck. He acted like he was high or drunk or… something. O.o Lol, great stuff.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry if there are some errors in it. I don't think there are many, if any, but I usually proof read it a bunch of times and I don't really feel like doing it more than once right now. Please **review!**


	21. Go Cannons!

**Chapter Twenty: Go Cannons!**

The buzzer on the alarm clock chimed early in the morning as sunlight flitted across the room. Groaning, Harry rolled over, slamming his hand against the clock, effectively shutting it up. Tired, he moved onto his stomach, pulling the pillow over his head and burying his face into the mattress. He lay there for a few minutes before lifting his head to check the time. _8:23._ It was unfortunately time to get up. With a grunt he slowly got out of bed, throwing the blanket off his legs and standing up. He crossed his arms and stretched, yawing loudly at the same time. Scratching his head, he shuffled out of the room and into the kitchen.

Pushing the door open he was greeted with a very unappealing sight.

A woman with long blonde hair stood bent over a drawer that was pulled out from the bottom of the fridge. She wore a long t-shirt, which in her current position, revealed her skimpy underwear.

"Ahem."

The woman looked at Harry from between her legs before slowly standing up.

"Hey there sexy." Pansy said, licking her lips at the sight of him, shirtless, in just a pair of dark green pajama bottoms.

"Pansy." Harry greeted as warmly as he could manage. What the hell was she doing here?

"You look good Harry." She purred, smiling seductively at him.

"Thanks." He muttered, walking over to the fridge.

Pansy stood in front of it, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. Harry sighed; what a pain.

"Could you move?"

"Why?" She said, trying to be cute, fluttering her long, dark eyelashes at him.

Harry stared at her, unfazed. "Because I'd like to eat."

Pansy smiled at him once again, biting her lip, her eyes scanning slowly over his lightly chiseled body. "Alright, one second."

She turned around and reach for a box of cereal on the top of the fridge and at the same time, conveniently lifted her shirt to show off her well sculpted stomach.

Harry rolled his eyes, before looking away. He didn't need to see that so early in the morning.

She slowly lowered her shirt after grabbing the cereal.

"All your's." She said, stepping away.

"Thanks." Harry muttered. He opened the fridge, looking for something good to eat, finally settling on a left over sandwich from last night.

"Hang on a second. I forgot something." He heard Pansy whisper behind him before he suddenly felt her breath on the nape of his neck and felt her soft but firm breasts press lightly against his back. She grabbed the milk from the side door and stepped away, but not before lingering her hand on his shoulder for a moment.

"Trying to steal my leftovers Potter?"

Both Harry and Pansy turned around to find Draco standing against the doorframe, arms crossed, trademark grin intact.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure Draco. If you can think back that far, I've got a girl of my own. I don't need any of your," He looked Pansy over quickly, "Leftovers."

Draco chuckled and walked into the room. Harry saw Pansy frown from the corner of his eye before it quickly disappeared. She swayed her hips lightly as she walked up to Draco, giving him a sloppy kiss.

Harry shuddered and looked away, thanking the Gods for his good taste in girls.

Draco pulled away after a few seconds, looking over at Harry, "What are you doing up so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Harry said, taking a seat at the table, "You're not exactly a morning person."

"Pansy woke me. In a rather pleasant way. After that, I didn't exactly want to go back to sleep. We eventually got hungry." He said, grabbing a piece of cold pizza from the counter before taking a seat next to his friend. Pansy walked over to the counter, hopping up on the surface.

Harry cringed at the mental images coming to mind of how exactly Pansy had woken him up.

"So what are _you_ doing up?"

Harry shrugged, "Going to hang out with Ginny today." He didn't want to tell Draco about the game with Ron. It was a sore subject with him because Harry had bailed the last time there was a game in town.

Pansy glared from the other side of the room.

"Oh ok." Draco said, munching on another bite of his pizza. "Have fun."

Harry nodded, finishing off the last of his sandwich before going back into his room to get dress for the day.

--

Harry strolled up the walk to Ginny's door, hands in his pockets. He took a deep breath, smelling the crisp morning air and looked up at the sky. Wisps of clouds spattered the sky but the sun shone brightly. No ominous clouds in sight.

Before he could even knock the door swung open, and Ron stood in front of him. He wore a bright orange jersey with the number seventeen on it, the color clashing horribly with his hair. He also wore an orange colored cap with two large C's on the front, with a cannonball rushing through them.

"Hey Harry."

"Hey Ron, nice jersey. Jenkins your favorite player?"

"Yeah he's a wild one. Gudgeon's your favorite right?" Ron asked, gesturing to the number eight six on his jersey.

"Of course, he's the best player on the team in my opinion."

Ron laughed, "Come on in." He said, moving aside for Harry to enter.

"Thanks," The emerald eyed teen looked around, taking his own Cannons cap off before running a hand through his messy hair. "Where's Ginny?"

"Ah, she's still sleeping. Not exactly a morning person."

"Huh, I didn't know that."

Ron gave an affirming nod. "Good, you better keep it that way."

Harry chuckled before following the redhead into the kitchen.

"Want something to eat? Mum makes the best breakfast food."

"Ah, no thanks, I've already eaten."

"Alright." Ron said, sitting at the table, "We've got some time to spare right?"

"Yeah, I came a bit early. We should leave in about fifteen minutes."

"Good, I'm starved."

A few moments later Mr. Weasley came walking into the room, wearing a nice business suit. He fussed with his tie, seeming to have difficulty tying it. He hadn't noticed Harry in the room yet. "Ron, didn't you eat already?"

"Yeah but, not very much." Ron answered, shoveling food onto his plate.

He looked up from his food for a brief second, "You can sit down you know Harry. Want something to drink?"

"Sure." He said, pulling up a seat.

Mr. Weasley stopped short.

"Oh, hello Harry, I didn't see you there." The older man laughed, tapping his glasses, "Maybe I should get these checked eh?" He chuckled to himself before continuing rather enthused, "Ready for the big game today?"

Harry grinned, "Definitely, it'll be great. The Kestrels are a pretty good team."

"Won the cup last year if I remember correctly."

"Yeah they did."

"You're both pulling for the Cannons though right?"

"Of course!" Ron said through a mouthful of food. "They're going to kick the Kestrels arse."

Mr. Weasley smiled; he knew Ron was very much looking forward to the game.

"Arthur, let me help you with that." Mrs. Weasley said, walking into the kitchen, grabbing the tie from him and looping it together.

"Thank you dear." He said, looking down as she worked the tie. "Ah, now I always forget that part."

"I know you do." She said endearingly, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips.

"Ugh, gross, don't blind me. Besides, we have company Mum."

Mrs. Weasley looked to Ron and finally spotted Harry.

"Oh goodness," Mrs. Weasley said, a blush creeping onto her cheeks, "Hello there Harry, it's good to see you again."

She smiled warmly at him before walking over to grab an empty plate, "Would you like something to eat?"

Harry held up his hands, "Oh, no thanks Mrs. Weasley. I already ate."

Mrs. Weasley frown, looking him over, "You could use to eat a bit more. You're looking a bit thinner than the last time I saw you…"

"Which was only a few days ago Mum, so it's in your head. He's fine." Ron replied, stabbing a buttery piece of waffle then smearing it through some syrup. He plucked it up and plopped it into his mouth.

"Of course." She said, taking one last look at him before turning around.

"Arthur you're going to be late. I'll grab your briefcase, you get out to the car."

As his parents left, Ron swallowed a rather large amount, opening his mouth to speak.

"Sorry about her. She's taken quite a liking to you. Going off on how you're such a 'charming, nice boy'.

Harry flushed, "You're Mum's really nice."

"Yep, we like her."

A sudden thought came to him, "Hey Ron, what do your parents do?"

Ron looked up from his plate, finally pushing it away, "Oh, well Dad works in a big law firm for the government in the city and Mum stays at home. She used to have to handle all seven of us and never had any time for a job, that was a big enough one in its self. But now, I think she enjoys being home by herself when Ginny and I are at school. It helps make up for the years of alone time she never got."

"Oh, alright." Harry said. He was just simply curious what Ron's parent did for a living.

Harry opened his mouth to ask another question but was stopped by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Ron, what's all the racket down here?" Came a feminine voice as Ginny appeared at the bottom of the staircase. Her long, red hair was slightly disheveled and her eyes barely open, she had obviously just woken up. She had on a pair of blue pajama shorts with some sort of writing on them Harry couldn't make out. She also wore a large white t-shirt that was several sizes too big for her. It was obviously one of her brothers.

Harry thought she looked incredbily cute.

"Oh nothing," Ron said, a wide grin on his face, "Just here talking to Harry."

Ginny's eyes shot open as she stared open mouthed at Harry who sat at the kitchen table.

"Hi." She said, face bright red.

"Hey." He said, giving her a lopsided grin, "Did we wake you?"

"No, ah, I just got up."

She stood there a moment longer, shifting from foot to foot, staring at the two of them.

"Well, I'm uh, going to go get dressed. Have a good time at the game you two." She said in a rush before dashing back up the stairs.

Ron snickered beside him at his sister's embarrassment. "That was great. You should come around here more often. It's not often you can get Ginny embarrassed like that."

Harry shook his head, a small smile on his face. He liked how they interacted with one another, teasing but with a lighthearted tone.

Checking his watch, he rose from the chair.

"We should head out. Do you have your ticket?"

"Yeah right here."

Ron fished around in his pocket for a minute before pulling out his crumpled ticket.

"Great, let's get going."

Ron jumped up from his seat. Grabbing some pounds from the table he turned to Harry, readjusting his cap.

He flashed the raven haired teen a wide grin, showing his pearly white teeth.

"Let's go!"

--

"This is bloody brilliant." Ron exclaimed, staring all around him. Many booths were open, lining the walls on each side of the vast tunnel that lead to the field. They held anything from mugs with the team's mascot or logo on them, to bobble heads of favorite players. Jerseys were the most apparent feature advertised in each stand, with matching hats. A man stood behind a counter selling hotdogs, while another stood selling popcorn and drinks. The place was jam packed, with people walking every which way. Little kids ran around, dragging flags behind them, joy spread across their features. Many people stood holding beers, laughing loudly with the friends they had come with. A few oddballs were spotted here and there with faces painted green or orange.

"You want anything to eat?" Harry asked looking around at the various shops. Nacho sounded extremely good to him at the moment.

"Yeah sure. I'll have two hotdogs and a thing of popcorn. Can you handle all that by yourself? I want to take a look around quick before the game starts."

"Sure." Harry replied, "I'll see you back at the seats."

Ron nodded before walking off, looking like a kid in a candy store.

Twenty minutes later, Harry sat in his seat, food all around him. He checked his watch, ten minutes before game time.

He scooted around in his chair, getting more comfortable, before picking up a hand full of popcorn and throwing it into his mouth.

"Harry, can you clear my seat?"

Harry looked up, his mouth dropping open in shock as he stared at Ron. The guy had only been down there for twenty minutes and seemed to have cleared out the place.

"Is there anything left down there?"

Ron flushed, before sitting down in his seat, "Of course there is, I didn't get that much…"

"You have three bags full of-" Harry looked into the nearest one and pulled out an item. "Foam fingers?"

"No, that's just for the game." Ron said, pulling out another and handing it to Harry, "Got you one too."

Harry chuckled, "Thanks." He said, running his fingers over the white lettering: _Cannons Number One!_

"And the rest… Well, I _do_ have quite a large family Harry. They all might want something and if not," Ron shrugged, smiling to himself, "More for me. I love this team."

Harry watched as he fished around for something else in the bags.

"Hey I got this for you too." He said, placing a bobble head of Galvin Gudgeon into Harry's hand.

Harry snorted, finding the bobble head barley resembled the player.

"Such an uncanny resemblance, don't you think?" Ron chortled at this as Harry toyed around with the figure, "Nice though, thanks a lot." He continued, pocketing the toy.

They both looked up as the music in the background stopped, a booming voice filling the stadium instead.

"It's starting!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up from his chair, Harry in toe.

The stadium was filled with a thunderous applause as they watched the players run out onto the field; booing as the leprechaun mascot for the Kestrels came out and cheering at the Cannonball mascot when it emerged onto the field.

A sea of orange and green colors packed the stadium, green outweighing the orange greatly. That didn't matter to the two teens though, as they cheered and stomped as loudly as they possibly could, to the annoyance of the Kestrel fans around them.

As the game continued on, the teens joked and laughed, bonding over their shared love for the biggest losing team in football history.

--

"Goal!" Came a wild yell from the commentator, "Cannons win the game! I can't believe it! By a freak accident the Cannons win the game five-four in the final seconds, their first win in over three seasons!"

Orange erupted in a deafening roar as the teens shot up from their seats, waving flags and pumping their foam fingers in the air. The mascot for the cannons stood in the middle of the field as a group of players formed a few yards away. The cannonball charged, diving to the ground and rolled into the Cannon players, causing them to all tumble down. He then shot back up, running around the field, waving his hands for the crowd to cheer more.

As the minutes went by, the crowd finally calmed down, Kestrel fans leaving in disgust while Cannons fans chatted loudly and excitedly to the friends they had come with as they headed for the exits. Harry and Ron however remained in there seats.

"_That. Was. Awesome!_" Ron yelled, punching his fist in the air.

"Definitely, that was brilliant!" Harry exclaimed, still staring somewhat speechless out at the field, "I can't believe they won."

"I know," Ron agreed, "But they did! And _I_ was here to see it!" Ron laughed, completely giddy, "No one at home will believe it."

He turned to Harry, "Thanks for inviting me to this Harry, it was amazing."

"No problem," Harry said, giving Ron a pat on the back, "I had a great time, thanks for coming with me. It's nice to watch the game with a fellow Cannons fan."

Ron grinned and nodded, picking up his bags, "You read to go?"

"Yeah."

They walked down the steps, going into the hallway before Ron slowed to a crawl, looking around.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, staring strangely at the redhead.

"I'm looking for the team."

"… Uh, Ron. The team's probably in the locker room celebrating their victory. They wouldn't come out here."

"Well, they might." He shrugged, "You never know. That would be the most perfect end to the most perfect day ever. Getting Jenkins to sign my jersey or something."

Harry paused, an idea forming in his mind. He smirked at Ron in a mischievous way before saying, "Follow me."

"Huh?" Ron questioned, but Harry was already down the hall, looking left to right.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, bewildered by Harry's actions, "The car's the other way."

"I'm not looking for the car." Harry said, turning to him but still walking backwards. "Just hang on a second and follow me."

Ron continued to follow Harry for several minutes, finally having enough.

"Ok, listen Harry. What-"

"Here it is!" Harry said excitedly, stopping at a door marked, _'Personnel Only'_.

Ron looked on blankly, "Here is what? All I see is a door."

"Exactly." Harry grinned and gave him a quick wink before looking around. Thankfully no one was in the hall with them, they had gone too far in the opposite direction of the crowd.

He walked up to the door, checking over his shoulder once more before giving the obviously locked door a hard yank while Ron looked on with wide eyes.

"_What are you doing?"_ He hissed, coming to stand next to him.

"You wanted that autograph right? Well, they aren't going to come out here to us, so we'll have to go to them."

Ron's ears perked up at the idea but he quickly shook his head, "Are you insane? We can't do that!"

"Who's going to stop us?" Harry said, arms splayed out to the completely empty hall.

"Bu-but, we'll get caught."

"Nah," Harry said, waving off the comment. He pulled a paper clip from his pocket, molding it into a specific shape before slipping it into the doorknob. "And even if we do, they'll only kick us out. And what does that matter? The game's already over."

Ron considered this as Harry worked at the door, finally hearing a soft _click_.

"Well come on then," Harry started, standing in the entryway, door wide open. "What are you waiting for? Don't you want to meet your team? I mean come on Ron, this is _your _team. The Cannons. Wouldn't you love to meet Jenkins?"

Ron looked at him for a moment, worry written clearly across his face, "But even if we _do_ make it there… The team will never want to see us."

"Sure they will!" Harry explained jovially, "They just won their first game in _years_! Some happy fans come to get a few autographs and they're gonna turn them away?" Harry took a few steps inside as voices came down the other hall. "So… you want to or not? We can leave if you want to, I just thought if you really wanted to meet them, here's your chance."

Ron hesitated for only a moment, running a nervous hand through his hair before grinning.

"Alright."

Creeping slowly down the hall, Harry walked a few steps in front of Ron, holding up a hand to stop him and motioning when to go. They made their way up and down hallways, turning every which way, until they were completely lost.

"Where the hell is it?" Ron whispered, coming up to Harry. "The place isn't _that_ big. We've been at this for," He checked Harry's watch, "Twenty minutes. Where's the locker rooms?"

"They've go to be around here somewhere." Harry said, sneaking across the hall.

Harry paused for a moment, a look of concentration on his face.

"Let's see, we went mostly to the right and forward, over near the Cannons side. Maybe we went too far forward." He turned around, brow furrowed. "Let's go back a bit."

"This is ridiculous." Ron muttered, "We should go right, we've gone this far haven't we? Let's go a few more halls down and if we come up empty, we'll go back."

Harry shrugged, "It's worth a shot, lead the way."

Ron crept forward down the hall to the right, twisting and turning until he came to a dead end.

Harry chuckled, "Great directional skills."

Ron's ears tinted red, "Hey, I can't help it, I thought I got it right. Besides, you weren't much better."

"You're right about that." Harry said, rubbing his face tiredly, "Alright, lets go back to the previous cross and take a left."

Ron nodded, gesturing for Harry to go. They made it to the cross and turned left, before a voice from behind startled them.

"Hey, you two."

Harry and Ron spun around to see a security guard heading toward them.

"Great." Ron groaned, "We're dead."

"Just let me do the talking ok?" Harry muttered from the corner of his mouth. He cleared his throat and spoke a little louder, addressing the guard. "What can we help you with Sir?"

The guard looked at them suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing back here?"

"Ah, just making our way to the janitorial closet. Someone's got to clean up the seats."

The guard looked from Harry to Ron, who merely nodded.

"Right. Get on with it then and stop lingering back here. People will think you're up to something."

"Right away Sir." Harry said, giving the man a polite smile and nod before walking past him and around the corner.

"Nice." Ron whispered when they were far enough away, "I would of never thought of something to say. Would have probably frozen up or just made a run for it."

Harry grinned, "Hey, he's got no proof that we _aren't_ workers here. They just try to intimidate you to slip up if you _are_ doing something wrong."

Another ten minutes later and Ron abruptly stopped.

"Ok, I've seen that piece of gum before. We're going around in circles."

Harry sighed. "I suppose you're right. Guess we should head back huh?"

"Yeah, we better." His stomach growled loudly, "I'm starving. Think we could pick up something to eat?"

"You ate like four hotdogs during the game." Harry said in slight disbelief.

"Yeah well, I worked it off with all that jumping up and down. It was a very intense game."

"That it was." Harry agreed. He opened his mouth to ask which way they should go back when they heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, what are you two doing? You're suppose to be out on the floor cleaning."

They whipped their heads to the right to see the same security guard making his way towards them.

"Got any more excuses?" Ron questioned, backing up.

Harry shook his head, "None he'd believe."

"So what do we do?" Ron asked him, looking slightly panicked.

"Run." Harry replied before quickly turning around and shooting up the hall, Ron right behind.

"Hey, wait!"

The guard ran after them but because of his extra weight, couldn't keep up for long.

They ran blindly through the halls until they ran smack into a group of people.

"Oy!"

"What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Sorry about that." Harry said, standing up and dusting himself off. He turned around quickly, looking for the guard. "Come on Ron, let's go."

He turned to walk away but didn't feel Ron move beside him.

"What's up?"

Ron merely continued to stare at the lot in front of them, mouth hanging open.

Harry finally turned to the group, seeing four men standing with casual clothes on, bags slung over their shoulders.

"You- You're… You're Rodger Gibbins!" Ron exclaimed, staring at him in awe.

"Eh? You know me do you?" The man said, laughing at the overwhelmed look on Ron's face. He glanced down at Ron's shirt, "But it doesn't look like I'm the one you want to see." He turned around, opening a door behind him. "Hey Joey, come out here a second."

"What's up?" The man, Joey, said walking into the hallway. He had dark drown, messy hair and was tall and stocky, clearly a power player.

"You're got a fan." Rodger said smirking, pointing to the number on Ron's jersey.

"Really?" Joey said, raising an eyebrow at Ron. "You know who I am kid?"

"Of course I do! You're Joey Jenkins!" Ron nearly fell over, seeing his favorite sports player in the entire world. "Bloody hell!"

The first man, Rodger, laughed finally turning to look at Harry.

"I see you've got number eighty six." He turned back around and went through the door, calling for someone once again.

He reappeared with another man a few moments later. The man was the shortest of the three, but was slim, giving the impression he was incredible fast.

"Galvin Gudgeon." Harry said, a beaming smile spreading across his face.

"We've got _fans_?" Galvin exclaimed, slightly surprised, "Well this is a first. Hey kid." He said, shaking Harry's hand. "You guys want autographs?" He continued, seeming excited about the prospect of signing things for them. Harry got the impression they had never really met any fans of their's before.

"Of course!" The teens exclaimed at the same time. They dug around in one of Ron's bags, looking for something for them to sign.

"Out of all of the things you could buy Ron, you didn't get any sort of paper with it! Where are your receipts?

"Hey it's not my fault. I just wanted some foam fingers…"

"You really weren't prepared for meeting your dream team were you?"

They players in the hall smirked at their bantering.

"Hey, give me some slack. I didn't exactly think you were suddenly going to come up with some crazy idea to break back here to get us to meet them!"

"There you are!" A gruff voice yelled from behind them.

They turned and groaned at the guard running towards them. Why now?

"Alright you two, you're coming with me."

"Wait just a second," Rodger said, walking up to the guard, "Why are you taking them?"

"They broke back in here and had no permission whatsoever…"

"Ah come on mate." Joey said, "The blokes just wanted to meet us, cut them some slack."

"They broke into a room that clearly stated-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. How about giving them a break? They're with us now." Galvin said, crossing his arms.

The guard looked around, completely outnumbered.

"Come on, we'll give you an autograph." Jenkins tempted, a smirk on his face.

The guard scoffed, "Why would I want your autographs? You're the worst team in the league."

The men frowned, not liking to have it rubbed in their faces.

The guard sighed however, sending a final glare at them all.

"Just this once, I'll let you off the hook." He turned to give a threatening glare at Harry and Ron, "If I ever see you kids back here again…"

"We get it, thanks mate." Rodger said, slapping the guard on the back. "Now," He began, turning to the teens as the guard walked away. Pulling out a sharpie from his back pocket he grinned, "I knew this would happen one day." He joked, pulling the cap off the marker. "Who's first?"

--

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews :) I know it's been a while since I've updated (sorry for that) but make sure to **review** and I'll update within the next day or two!


	22. Family

**Chapter Twenty One: Family**

"Anyone home?" Ron shouted into the seemingly empty house. It was too quiet.

"In the kitchen Ron."

Harry and Ron walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley at the stove, juggling four different dishes at once.

"Hey Mum." Ron said, taking a fresh cookie from a plate and sticking it in his mouth before tossing one to Harry.

"Hello Ron, Harry." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at them both. "How was the game?"

"Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, "They won!"

"What?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed surprised, dropping the spatula she had in her hand. She wasn't a huge football fan but she knew enough to know that the Cannons _never _won. She had always tried to be supportive for Ron's sake, but the Chudley Cannons really were terrible.

"Yeah, they battled hard the entire game and finally won within seconds of the buzzer!"

"What's all the racket for?" Fred said, walking into the kitchen, George and Ginny in toe.

"Hey Harry." Ginny said, smiling at him before walking up and giving him a hug.

Harry flushed, embarrassed by the display of affection in front of her family, but hugged her back none the less.

"Hey."

"Watch those hands Potter." George muttered to him under his breath, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah we're watching you." Fred said, pointing at his eyes and then at Harry is a slightly eerie way.

"Is anyone listening?" Ron said exasperatedly.

"Sorry Ron, what's up? How was the game?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you." He looked at them all and grinned, "They won!"

Fred and George snickered and rolled their eyes, "Yeah, and pigs can fly Ron."

"No, they really did win!" He said, looking to Harry for help.

"They did actually. By some freak accident in the final three seconds." Harry laughed, remember just a few hours earlier, "The Kestrels thought they had it in the bag. They were completely blown away… stunned. The Cannons were too come to think of it."

"So you mean they really won?" George asked, puzzled.

"Yes! It was amazing." Ron gushed. He pulled up a chair, spending the next fifteen minutes telling them animatedly about the game.

"Sounds like it was fun."

"Yeah, even if it was the Cannons."

Ron's enthused grin grew even more.

"What?"

"That's not all." He turned to Harry, before nodding. Harry smirked before unwrapping his arms around Ginny and digging into Ron's nearby bag. He pulled out a duplicate of Ron's jersey and threw it to him, before grabbing his own.

"We got the whole team's autograph!"

"What!?" Fred exclaimed, now impressed. He grabbed the jersey out of Ron's hand, looking closely at the signatures. "You forged it. It's got to be a fake."

"Nope." Ron said, slightly indignant but still grinning.

"How the bloody hell did you manage to get the team's signatures?"

"Harry got us into the back hallways where fans weren't exactly allowed to go. We walked around for nearly an hour before we literally ran into the team."

George laughed, "Well, well, well, you're a sneaking one aren't you Harry?"

"How'd you manage to get back there?" Fred questioned.

"Through a door." Harry said evasively. He didn't want Mrs. Weasley to know they had broken in, even if it was harmless.

"We even stayed to talk to them for a bit." Ron said, trying to bring the attention back to himself for Harry's sake. "They're pretty cool blokes."

"Wow." George said, happy for his little brother. He'd been obsessing over that team for years. "Well congrats bro." He came up to Ron, giving him a pat on the back.

"Thanks." Ron said, nearly pouncing out of his seat, still jazzed from the game. "Oh, I got some things for you guys." He said, pulling the bags towards him. As Ron handed out gifts, Ginny tugged on Harry hand, gesturing to the empty living room.

Harry followed her through, sitting on the couch beside her.

"So you had a good time?" She asked, leaning back against the couch, hand still firmly in his.

"Yeah, I really did. Ron's a pretty cool guy. He was fun to hang out with for the day." He adjusted a bit, pulling Ginny to him, "But I missed you."

Ginny feigned shock, "Really?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, I didn't miss you at all." She said nonchalantly, trying but failing to keep a straight face.

Harry clutched his heart in a fake injured way, a wounded, puppy dog expression on his face.

"You didn't miss me?"

Ginny shook her head.

"Not one bit?"

"Nope."

"Huh," Harry said, a thoughtful expression on his face. "So… you didn't miss this?"

He leaned over slowly, building the intensity and anticipation before leaning in, hovering just above her lips. He grinned cockily before placing a hand to her cheek, guiding her lips to his. Her hands threaded into his hair as she moaned briefly, pulling him closer. Harry smiled into the kiss, laying his free hand against her neck. He could feel her heart beat wildly beneath her skin.

He withdrew from the kiss, giving her a lopsided grin.

"Well?"

Ginny smiled weakly, still trying to control her breathing, "I guess I missed that."

Harry chuckled before placing his arm around her and leaned back into the couch. She snuggled into him, tucking herself beneath his strong, broad shoulder.

"So, are we still on for the mall Thursday?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"And Draco's fine with this?"

Harry shrugged, "I think so. I mean, he's the one who suggested it to begin with."

Ginny studied the table in front of them. "Why do you think he did it?"

"I don't know for sure. I've been giving him crap for a while about how he treats you, or _doesn't_ treat you really. He just kind of ignores you." He shook his head in disgust. "And I told him to give you a chance multiple times, that he doesn't even know you… Maybe that finally sunk in and he's trying to get to know you."

Ginny nodded, playing with the end of his shirt absentmindedly.

"Well," She said, glancing up at him, "I hope everything goes well. I want to get along with Draco. I know he's been getting on your nerves for a while now, but I know he's important to you. I'll try my best."

Harry smiled gently at her, leaning in to give her a light kiss.

"Thanks Ginny. That means a lot to me."

Ginny blushed, "Well, you mean a lot to me Harry. I just want you to be happy."

She leaned up, planting her lips on his. He sighed, bringing her closer, never getting enough of her. He sincerely hoped Thursday went well. He wanted his best mate and his girlfriend to get along.

--

"You drive." Harry said to Draco, jumping from the front into the back seat.

"What? Why?"

"Because, I want to sit with Ginny. You can drive can't you?" He said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Draco heaved a sigh, "Fine, I'll drive. But don't pull any lovey-dovey crap in the car ok? You're too close in proximity."

Harry laughed, turning to look out the window for Ginny. He had just stepped out of the car when he saw Ginny leave the house, yelling goodbye to her parents.

"Hey handsome." Ginny said, stretching on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"Well hello to you too." He said, smiling at her. He leaned down, giving her a quick kiss before the sound of a horn interrupted them.

Harry turned around, looking through the window to glare sharply at Draco.

"Sorry," He said, smiling innocently, "It slipped."

Rolling his eyes, Harry opened the car door, waiting for Ginny to slide in before getting in himself.

"Hi Draco." Ginny said, flashing him a smile.

"Hi Ginny." Draco said friendly, for him at least, before turning his eyes back to the road. "Are we ready to go? Or do we need to stop anywhere else?"

Harry shook his head; leave it to Draco to still subtly complain.

"No that's it, head to the mall."

"You got it." Draco replied, jamming the car into drive before peeling off down the street, tires squealing along the way.

An hour later they arrived at the mall, having paid and parked before heading up to the front doors.

"This is where Draco and I met." Harry told Ginny, his arm around her shoulders.

"Really?" Ginny asked, "Right here or at this mall?"

"At this mall."

"How did you meet?"

Harry looked away, while Draco barked loudly.

"I helped him out of a rather tight spot."

Ginny turned to Harry, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, I was running away from a mall security guard." Harry said, "He helped hide me and sent the guards the other way." He didn't need to say _why_ he had been running away from the security guard… it was fairly obvious.

"Oh." Was all that Ginny said, as they walked up some steps.

"Not exactly my finest hour." Harry admitted. He was ashamed of the life he had lead for years. It wasn't right.

Draco looked at Harry in disbelief. "Not your finest hour? That was bloody brilliant. The way you punched that guard and sped off." Draco laughed, "He thought he totally had you."

Harry flushed, extremely embarrassed, sending a glare at Draco. He didn't want to keep rehashing this with Ginny right there. He was trying to change; she didn't need to hear all the things he had done.

Ginny saw the look he gave Draco and the rather guilty expression he held as his shoulders tensed. She gave his hand a small squeeze before throwing him a reassuring smile.

"So… where to?" Ginny asked, trying to change the subject.

Harry gave her a grateful smile, "Well, where does everyone want to go?"

"Doesn't matter to me, I'm used to shopping with guys. I don't need clothes or anything. Maybe we could hit the video game store? I've been looking for a new game to try."

"Alright, well, I'd like to look at the new game systems too and I never did buy that stereo I wanted…"

"Excellent, let's start there."

Harry and Draco began walking until Harry turned, mouth open to say something to Ginny but she wasn't there. He looked around, finding her back a few feet, looking in through a store window. Curious, Harry walked forward, ignoring Draco's muttering behind him.

"Hey, you coming?" Harry asked, coming to stand beside her. "Or do you want to go in?"

Ginny looked up from the glass, smiling apologetically.

"Yeah I'm coming, sorry." She said slightly distracted, taking another look at the item through the window before stepping away, "Stereo first, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Harry replied as she grabbed his hand, pulling him over to Draco. Harry turned back quickly to look through the window to what Ginny had been staring at. He only got a quick glimpse, but spotted a beautiful silver chained necklace with a small diamond encrusted heart intertwined with a larger one beside it. It faded from his eyesight though as they reached Draco before setting off for the electronic store.

They shopped around for a few hours, Harry and Ginny laughing and joking, while Draco came around slightly as the day grew on. They were just making their way to the food court, having paused their shopping to eat.

"I love that hat on you." Ginny said, taking off Harry's new khaki hat, placing it on her head, "Looks good on me too."

Harry laughed, "So that's why you wanted me to get it, so you could wear it."

Ginny snickered, "Exactly."

Harry hugged her to his side, kissing the top of her cap clad head.

"So where do we want to eat?"

"Um, I don't care. I could kind of go for some spicy food though. Maybe Mexican?"

"That sounds fine to me, Draco?"

He turned beside him where Draco had previously been walking, but was no longer there.

"Draco?" He asked louder, looking around, finally spotting him standing a few feet back, stock still.

Harry pulled his arm from Ginny, walking up to Draco. Upon further examination, Harry found his friend's face had paled drastically, an expression of anxiety and shock covering his features.

"What is it mate?" Harry questioned, slightly worried. Draco never looked like this.

He didn't answer, merely stared into the distance some yards away.

Harry looked around, trying to find what was freaking the blonde out, but came up empty.

"Draco, talk to me." He said eagerly, grabbing his friend's shoulders.

Draco stayed quiet for a few moments before licking his dry lips.

"Do you see that woman over there? The blonde holding the black purse?" He said in a hushed tone, still staring intently at the woman.

Harry turned around, looking for and finally spotting her. Confusion clouded his features as he turned back to Draco.

"Yeah? What about her?"

Draco gulped slightly.

"It's my Mum."

--

**A/N:** Cliffhanger lol. Another chapter completed. Hope you guys liked it. Proof reading the next one now so after I get a handful of reviews from you guys, I'll update. So **review** and tell me what you think. Depending on if I get the reviews quick, I may update tomorrow. Happy reading!


	23. Unwelcome Memories

**Chapter Twenty Two: Unwelcome Memories**

Harry whipped back around, staring at the tall, leggy woman. She had to of been at least forty but looked damn good for her age. Her long, wavy blonde hair fell down her back, the side of it tucked behind her ear. She was walking inside a department store, visible from the clear glass window. She wore a knee length skirt and a fancy top, no doubt top of the line. She fished in her bag for a moment before pulling out a cell phone, distracted by the person on the other end.

"That's your mother!?"

Draco nodded, backing up slightly, "Let's get out of here."

Harry nodded quickly, understanding his need to leave. He turned to a rather confused Ginny, who pulled him aside as the three of them walked quickly away, back to the car.

"I don't understand," She hissed to him, "Why is he so scared about seeing his mother?"

Harry gave Ginny a sad smile, "Because he hasn't seen her in nearly three years now."

"Why?"

"Because he ran away."

Still unbelievably confused, Ginny walked quickly with the pair, nearly having to jog to keep up. They made it to the car, Harry jumping into the driver's seat before leaving the parking lot.

They drove for ten minutes in silence until Harry spotted a familiar restaurant. He hurriedly parked the car and they walked inside, grabbing a lone booth in the corner.

Harry ordered them all something to drink, and looked to Draco. The blonde sat with his arms crossed, staring unfocused at the table.

"Draco?"

He finally looked up but it was not Harry he looked to, but Ginny.

"Bet you're wondering why we split at seeing my mum?"

Ginny said nothing, but looked on with curious eyes.

Draco laughed bitterly, looking out the window.

"My parents always wanted the perfect son. The football captain. The straight A student. The spelling bee champ. They wanted a son to be proud of, to brag to all their friends about." He paused for a moment, shaking his head slightly. "They wanted perfection. Something I definitely wasn't."

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "No matter how hard I tried to make them proud of me, they never were… I was never good enough. I always messed up."

Draco's stormy grey eyes clouded over, thinking about his unpleasant past.

--

_Draco fidgeted on the spot, trying to evade his mother's busy hands. _

"_Mum, get off me!" He growled, trying to swat away her hands as she fussed with his hair._

"_Hold still Draco. You need to look your best tonight."_

"_But, why? I don't know any of these people."_

"_Because," The woman said, stopping and sighing in exasperation as her son wouldn't hold still. "These are very important people. Your father might make the biggest business deal he's ever gotten tonight. You need to look presentable."_

_The twelve year old boy huffed, crossing his arms as his mother tried to fix his tie._

"_Why do I even have to attend? Can't I just stay in my room? It'll be so boring. These people are nothing but a bunch of snobs-"_

"_Hush Draco." She said, quieting him instantly but reluctantly. She gave him a hard look, "Now I want none of this tonight, you'll be on your best behavior."_

_She smoothed down the collar on his tux before stepping back, seemingly satisfied._

"_That'll have to do." She sighed, giving him one last look before turning around to the mirror._

_Draco watched as his mother grabbed a diamond necklace, clasping it around her neck. She wore an elegant black dress that hugged her tightly before flowing out at the waist._

"_There you are Narcissa." A masculine voice said to their left. Draco turned to see his father, in an expensive white tuxedo, walk into the room. "Come, come, everyone's waiting. The guests are all here."_

"_One moment Lucius, let me put on these earrings." She grabbed a pair of dangly, sparkling earrings, putting them in. She turned to her husband, a secretive smile on her lips. "How do I look?"_

_He smiled lovingly at her, giving her a brief kiss on the lips, "Wonderful dear, as usual. Now, let's hurry. They'll be thinking I made you up soon."_

_Narcissa laughed, sounding like bells as she walked out of the room, arm in arm with her husband._

"_Hi Dad." Draco muttered under his breath, watching his parents walk down the extravagant staircase, leading down to the ballroom where the party was held. _

_Draco stood on the balcony, looking down at the guests. A man played on the piano in the corner of the huge hall, singing softly into the microphone. Waiters and waitresses in nice clothing walked between the guests, offering them drinks and appetizers. The men and women wore expensive clothing, the best there was, as they laughed in small groups, telling stories to one another. Everyone held a drink of course, getting more and more plastered as the night wore on. Draco wondered how many people would be cheating on their respective others tonight. It happened every time these parties were thrown. Everyone pretended they were happy, it was all show, when on the inside they hated the person standing next to them, for some reason or another. Draco saw a few people pointing to the ceiling, staring at the impressive chandelier that hung from above. Looking around some more, he saw a few people sitting at the tables laid out on the other side of the room, already stuffing their faces with food. _

_Draco glanced on in disgust, scanning the room. He hated these people. They were all so fake and cared about nothing but money and the meaningless things in life. The women were nothing but gossips while the men merely boasted and bragged about their wonderful life, always trying to out do one another._

_He sighed, deciding to join the party, just to make his parents happy. There were always very few kids at these gatherings. But those who did come usually snuck a bottle of wine into the back rooms, drinking with their buddies. He had a few friends in this group but not many. They were mainly spoiled jerks._

_Stepping onto the floor, Draco made his way over to the bartender, asking for a soda. He walked around as he drank, before being ushered over by his father._

"_Draco there you are." His father said in a jovial voice, beckoning him over. "Tim, I'd like you to meet my son Draco. Draco, this is Mr. Powell, he's my new business partner."_

_The man was large and fat, with clean cut hair and plump, rosy cheeks. Draco felt a bit bad for the clothing he was wearing, the buttons looked as if they were about to burst._

_Mr. Powell laughed, wagging a finger at Lucius, "Now, now Lucius. We're not business partners quite yet."_

"_But going to be." His father lightly persisted, sending the man a charming grin._

"_Yes, yes, of course. A rather large investment into your company would be a very good thing indeed." He finally looked to Draco, sending him a smile, "So you're the young heir to the vast Malfoy fortune are you?"_

_Draco looked up at the man, giving him a strained smile, "Yes Sir."_

_The man waited for Draco to say something else but nothing came. His face turned to an expression that was clearly unimpressed before looking at Lucius once again._

"_So, about this idea of your's…"_

_Draco's father let go of his shoulder, setting him free. He didn't bother to say goodbye as he walked away. His father wouldn't notice he was gone._

_Walking across the vast room, he settled on leaning against the wall in a rather quiet corner, staring out at the crowd._

"_Hey Draco." He heard someone say next to him, and looked up to see Ray Collins leaning against the wall also. Ray was a seventeen year old who, like himself, hated these people with every fiber of his being._

"_Hey Ray," Draco said, looking at the older teen's arm, wrapped tightly in a cast. "Sorry about that, heard you got hit by a car."_

_Ray laughed, shaking his head, "No, I just slipped on some ice and fell. The stories people come up with…" He trailed off, bringing a glass filled with what Draco assumed was scotch to his lips, taking a small sip. Sighing, the brown haired teen scanned the crowd, "Nice party eh?"_

_Draco scoffed, "Yeah, sure."  
_

_Ray looked down at the unhappy expression on Draco's face as he took another sip from his drink, the ice clinking around in the glass as he did so. Bringing the glass back down, the older teen's face suddenly light up, a sly smile appearing on his lips. Draco gulped as he saw that look. He knew from past experiences and Ray's reputation that nothing good could come from it.  
_

"_Why don't we get out of here?"_

_Draco snorted, "And go where?"_

_Ray grinned, "Come with me."_

_Intrigued, Draco followed as Ray walked out the front door of the house._

_The blonde shivered as the cold night air hit him, crossing his arms tightly to keep warm. He continued to follow Ray out to the parked cars, his feet crunching in the snow as he walked._

"_What are we doing out here?" Draco asked, watching as his words came out in hot breaths into the night air._

"_See that car over there?" Ray asked, pointing with his good hand at a black car some ways down the line._

"_Yeah?"_

"_That my friend, is a 1961 Ferrari California Spyder. Imported from the states. It's Mr. Powell's car."_

_Draco looked on at the car with a new found respect. The thing cost over a million pounds._

"_Why don't we take it out for a little joy ride?"_

_Draco's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets, "Are you _crazy_? Do you have any idea how much trouble we'd be in if we got caught!?"_

_Ray smirked, "Well then, let's not get caught." He walked up to the car, Draco in toe._

"_How are you even going to drive it, you haven't got the keys?"_

_Ray smirked cockily, fishing around in his pocket for a moment before throwing the keys to Draco, "I'm not going to drive, _you_ are."_

_Draco caught them successfully in his right hand, staring down at them. He looked up questioningly to Ray._

_Collins shrugged, "I swiped them from his coat pocket. People should really take better care of protecting their stuff."_

"_We can't do this." Draco said, looking back at the keys, "My dad would _kill_ me."_

"_Well don't tell him them idiot." Ray said, looking over his shoulder quickly before pulling the car door open._

"_Ray." Draco hissed, watching as the older teen got into the car, sighing as he slid his hand over the leather seats._

"_Nice." He whispered, looking up to Draco and grinning._

"_What are you waiting for?"_

_Draco shifted, anxious but worried. He felt a sudden thrill at the prospect of driving the car._

"_I-I don't know how to drive…" He said, feebly looking for excuses not to do this as he got more and more excited._

"_I'll teach you, hop in."_

_Draco looked up at the house for a moment. He could hear the music clearly from even yards away, lights from the house shinning through the windows, making the snow sparkle below. He looked back to Ray, who gestured for him to jump inside._

_Grinning to himself, he made up his mind, opening the door and getting in. He admired the cars features for a few minutes, staring at everything in awe._

"_Alright, now put the key into the ignition and start her up."_

"_But, what if they hear?"_

_Ray waved it off, "With how drunk they're all getting and how loud the music is? Not likely. Now turn it on."_

_Draco did as he was told, hearing the engine roar to life. A small, excited jolt shot through him._

"_Now, move the car into reverse, we need to back it out of here."_

_Draco shifted the gears, feeling the car roll slowly backwards._

"_Alright stop." Ray said, jerking forward as Draco slammed on the brakes. He sent Draco a small glare, "Not _that _hard."_

"_Sorry." He said sheepishly, bouncing with excitement. "Now what?"_

"_Put the car in drive and turn it, we're going to have to circle around the house. Just go quietly."_

_Draco nodded, putting the car in drive and slowly creeping forward._

"_You can go a bit faster than that." Ray exclaimed. He smirked as he thought of an idea that would scare the younger teenager, "Here, like this."_

_Ray moved his foot over Draco's, pressing the gas pedal all the way down._

"_Ray, DON'T!" Draco yelled as he felt the car suddenly speed up, and he swerved to avoid hitting a parked car. As the car turned, he tried to slam on the brakes but felt them lock up underneath him as he lost control of the car._

"_Get down!" He heard Ray yell, feeling the older teen push him down as the car ran head first through the front of the house._

_People screamed as a car suddenly came bursting through the wall, crashing into tables until it suddenly came to a stop._

_Draco slowly looked up, coughing, as he wiped dust and bits of wood off himself. He brushed his hand against his cheek to wipe it off before a bright color caught his eye. He looked down to see his fingertips covered with blood.  
_

"_My car!" He heard a man yell. Draco looked up to see the large man from earlier running up to the front of the vehicle, horrified. "Get out of the damn car you little bastard!" He roared, his face rapidly changing to a vivid red._

_Draco looked over to Ray, seeing him give a small nod, a now worried look on his face. They both slowly got out of the car as the man pushed Draco aside, nearly knocking him to the floor in his haste of getting closer to the now ruined vehicle._

_Draco stared down at the floor as he heard his mother gasp. He cringed, looking up at his parents._

_They gaped at him, startled expressions on their faces. What really got Draco though was the disappointing but unsurprised stares he got from them. _

"_Mr. Powell," Lucius started, looking away from his son in displeasure as he walked up to the man, "Please, Mr. Powell, I'll pay for any repairs to the vehicle."_

"_You'll pay for the repairs?" The man asked in complete disbelief, staring at the senior Malfoy in rage, "Your bloody boy _ruined_ my car. An antique. A priceless antique. The parts don't exist anymore Malfoy. Thousands of pounds wouldn't repair this kind of damage!"_

_He bellowed profanities for several moments as the gathering crowd looked on at the scene. His parents would be the talk of the town._

_Draco looked up and saw Ray's mother run up and hug him, making sure he was alright. A small pang of jealousy hit him as he looked to his own mother, who was no where near him. He watched as Ray's father came up, talking to the teen in a hushed tone, causing Ray to lower his head in shame. His father still set a supportive hand on his son's shoulder though, as he wrapped his other arm around his wife._

"_Mr. Powell-" Lucius began but was immediately cut off._

"_You can take our business deal and shove it up your arse Malfoy." The man screamed. He grabbed his wife's arm, pulling her to the door before slamming it shut behind him. The door banged in the deafening silence as Draco felt every eye in the place land on him. He looked up to his parents once more, as his mother went to his father, putting a comforting arm around him. He watched them share a look he had seen far too often._

_They wish he'd never been born._

--

"After that day, my parents always looked at me as a failure. Always expecting me to mess up somehow. They had eventually gotten over it but never forgot. It was only the beginning of the end for me."

--

_Draco sat in the principles office staring down at his shoes. He heard someone walk inside the office, high heels tapping against the hard floor. Draco sighed, why couldn't the butler come for him?_

"_A week's suspension, Mrs. Malfoy."_

"_A week?" She said in disbelief, glancing to her son and back, "But… this won't end up on his permanent record will it Mr. Cooper?"_

"_I'm afraid so Mrs. Malfoy. Your son was caught in a rather heated fight. The other boys are getting the same punishment. I will not allow violence in my school."_

_Narcissa nodded understandingly as she walked back to the door._

"_Come Draco."_

_The blonde boy sighed, getting up and following after his mother. He wondered what approach he'd get from his mother this time. Disappointment? Anger? Or would she give him the silent treatment and let Dad deal with him? Or maybe, Draco thought, it would be a combo. Maybe a little good cop, bad cop? He wondered if his mother would even let him tell his side of the story._

_They drove back to the house in silence. The second they got home, his mother told him to sit at the table as she walked out of the room._

"_Your father's on his way." She exclaimed, sitting at the table with him when she returned._

'Of course.' _Draco thought, '_They were going to double team him.'

_They waiting in a heavy silence for fifteen minutes when the front door opened. His mother jumped up from her seat, greeting his father as he walked into the room._

_His father turned to him, leaning against the wall with a disapproving, stern look on his face._

"_So you got into a fight." He said simply, frowning at his son._

_Draco sighed, "Are you even going to let me tell you what happened?"_

"_Oh I know what happened. You're punishing us for placing you in that school. You're rebelling against us. We only placed you in that school to better your future Draco. Is that so evil of us?"_

"_You put me in that school to make it look better to your friends." Draco said._

_Lucius shook his head in amazement. He stared at his son for a long moment and sighed, running a hand through his hair._

"_Have you got anything to say?"_

"_Nothing you'd believe."_

_The elder Malfoy scoffed, standing up straight. He blew out a large breath, trying to calm himself._

"_Why don't you try me?"_

_Draco looked at his parents, a bored expression on his face._

"_Pierce Michaels and his friends jumped me in the hall."_

_His father remained silent, staring at him in a calculating way as his mother started shaking her head in disagreement._

"_Why can't you just tell us the truth Draco? Why make up all these stories…"_

"_I'm not making it up!" Draco shouted, glaring at his mother, "Pierce Michaels is a bastard. He beats up kids all the time and today was my lucky day. I was only protecting myself!"_

_His mother sighed, "Peirce is a nice boy Draco, I've known him for years. Don't go taking out your anger at us placing you in a new school on him. Blaming him for your problems won't help you any in life son. Why don't we make an appointment with your therapist, you can talk to him about this if you can't talk to us."_

_Draco laughed coldly, crossing his arms, "Unbelievable. You ask for the truth and you don't believe it. You think more highly of a stuck up arse than you do your own son!"_

_His mother threw up her hands in exasperation, turning to her husband._

"_Your turn."_

_His father walked closely up to Draco, placing a hand to his cheek, turning his head._

_Examining Draco's black eye, he called to the maid, "Bring me a steak Matilda."_

"_I'm fine." Draco said, pushing his father's hand away from his face._

_His father sighed, looking down at his son. Where had he gone so wrong?_

"_Did you start that fight Draco?"_

"_No." Draco said truthfully, "And if you don't believe me, look at the facts. Why would I start a fight with three seniors. What would be the point? I don't exactly _enjoy_ getting beaten up."_

"_Whether it was your fault or not, you shouldn't have fought. You should have walked away."_

"_That's a little difficult to do when a guy is pummeling you on the floor." Draco said sarcastically._

_His father frowned at him, starting to get irritated._

"_I don't care Draco. You can't get into these stupid fights! You should avoid people like that. This isn't why we put you into this school. We did it for your own good-"_

"_For my own good? You tore me away from my friends, _my life_, for my own good!?" Draco yelled, standing up from his chair._

"_We put you into the top school in the area Draco. It's your only chance to get into Oxford with your grades."_

"_What if I don't want to go to Oxford?" Draco yelled defiantly, balling his hands into fists. His parents were planning out his entire future without bothering to ask for his opinion. _

"_You have to go to Oxford," His father said, pacing up and down the dinning room, "You need to get a fine degree if you want to take over the business-"_

"_I _don't _want to take over your business."_

"_You're going to anyway! I built this empire for _you_ Draco. So that some day you and your family will be taken care of. You don't have to start from nothing like I had to. All your life things have been handed to you, including this and all you do is throw it back in our faces." _

"_I didn't ask for it." Draco yelled, "Why would I thank you for a life that makes me miserable and a future I don't even want!"_

"_I just got off the phone with Alice." His mother interrupted, walking back into the room, "Peirce wasn't in any fights, he doesn't have a scratch on him."_

"_That's total bullshit. He weaseled his way out of his punishment. He was _there_, I saw him. He was the one who gave me this black eye."_

"_Damn it Draco, will you just grow up!" His father yelled, pounding his fist on the table. "Your fifteen, when are you going to start acting your age? It doesn't matter who started it. Stop blaming this boy. The fact is, it takes two. You're doing nothing to help your future. Now because of this, I'll have to buy the school a brand new library wing to get this off your record. Do you have any idea how much money it's going to cost me to clean up the mess you made?"_

"_Then DON'T!" Draco roared, glaring at his parents. "I don't want your help, and I don't want your life. I'm done with the both of you. Just leave me the hell alone!"_

--

Draco stared down at the table.

"That's the last time I ever saw them. I ran out of the house after the fight and when I came back later they were at some charity function. I packed up my things and left. I never looked back."

He finally looked up at the two, giving them a brief smile, "Sorry about leaving the mall. We didn't get the stereo you wanted."

"It's alright mate." Harry said, reaching over to clasp Draco on the shoulder, "I understand."

He smiled before turning to Ginny, "Bet your life's looking pretty good right now huh?"

Ginny nodded, sympathy shinning through her eyes.

Draco shook his head, "Don't feel sorry for me. Leaving was the best thing I ever did."

"Didn't… Didn't they ever…" Ginny trailed off, biting her lip.

"Go ahead."

"Didn't they ever try to find you?"

"Oh yeah, tons of times." Draco said, shrugging his shoulders, "I evaded the cops each time they came around. There are millions of people in London, it's a bit hard to find just one person. But every time they did I just ran somewhere else. My parents had a small army out to find me it seems. I had to move around every two weeks. Until I met Harry that is."

"I looked him up after a while, when I needed a place to stay. We had met at the mall a few weeks before the fight and he told me to drop in the next time I was in the city. So I looked him up and went to his flat. I told him about my parents and he invited me to stay with him, which was in it's self, more than I could ask for. But then, he came up with this brilliant idea to make my parents stop looking for me. At least _here_."

"What did he do?" Ginny asked, intrigued.

"Well, I got rid of all my credit cards and my bank accounts. He told me from here on out to strictly use cash. He also got me a fake license so I wouldn't have to register for one and possibly be found." He laughed, remembering the past, "He then used money from my bank account, before I closed it, to buy a ticket from here to Los Angeles in the US. Since then, I've never had a cop on me."

"Don't you ever miss them?"

Draco shook his head, "Nope. They weren't very loving parents. I think they just had me for show." He snorted, a crooked smile on his face, "They probably looked for me because their friends were starting to wonder where I was and they were running out of excuses."

Ginny doubted this. How could parents not love their own son? Draco probably grew up in a repressed house hold and because of this, got a different outlook on his parents. Maybe they weren't as bad as he thought. Ginny didn't voice her thought however. What he did with his life was his choice. But she now understood why Harry and Draco seemed to click so well. They were both orphans, the only family the other had.

"Well, enough talking." Draco said, his trademark grin returning to his face, "Let's get something to eat shall we?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a sad look before opening their menus, looking for something good to eat.

Some time after dinner, Harry excused himself to use the rest room, leaving Draco and Ginny alone.

"Um, Draco I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"Well, Harry's birthday is coming up and I wanted to throw a party for him at my house." She paused, hoping she was doing the right thing and that Harry wouldn't mind. "You're his best friend and I can tell you mean a lot to him. Do you think you could maybe come? I'm sure he'd be happy if he saw you there too."

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment, considering it. He wasn't really too keen on the idea of spending hours with Ginny and her family. The lot of them were probably one big, fake, loving group and it made him slightly sick to think of it. But, from all the past memories brought up today, he remember how much Harry had done for him in the past and figured he should probably go. It would show Harry that he was giving Ginny a chance also.

"Sure. I'll go."

"Really?" Ginny asked, slight surprised, but pleased he'd be there. "That's great. Be at my house around four on the thirty first. And don't tell him where you're going, just make something up."

"Alright." He said, "What are you getting him?"

Ginny opened her mouth to speak before quickly shutting it as Harry came back to the table.

"Hey, what did I miss?"

"Nothing much."

"Really? It seemed like you were talking a lot before I came back over, then you stopped." He narrowed his eyes playfully at her, "Were you talking about me?"

Ginny laughed, slapping him on the shoulder lightly, "Really Harry, you're a little too self absorbed." She grinned before leaning up, giving him a distracting kiss. It was hard to keep secrets from him; he was very good at figuring things out. He always seemed to have his antenna up and was very persuasive when he wanted to know something. But she figured she could handle it. All she had to do was resist his charm for two weeks.

--

**A/N:** Another trip down memory lane lol. Thank you all for the reviews, you guys are great! So how'd you like Draco's past? Interesting at all? Was it what you expected? Hope you liked it, make sure to **review**!


	24. Birthday Surprise

**Chapter Twenty Three: Birthday Surprise**

The alarm clock next to the bed went off loudly, filling the room with an annoying noise. Brown eyes peeked open to stare at the blaring lights of the clock. Groaning at the early hour, a hand shot out from underneath the blankets and slammed the top of the clock, effectively turning it off. Rolling onto her back, red hair splayed out on the pillow. Ginny stared up at the ceiling, frowning as she tried to remember why she was getting up so early. Her mind still foggy from sleep, she slipped out of bed and out of her room, heading into the bathroom.

Reaching for her toothbrush Ginny squeezed a gob of toothpaste onto it. Brushing her teeth, she became slightly irritated, wondering why she wanted to get up so early. It was only ten forty five, she usually slept until at least eleven thirty, it was summer after all. Shaking her head, she spit into the sink and turned on the water. She figured she should just go back to bed. Making her way back into her room, she climbed under the covers, curling up into a ball. She was just about to drift off to sleep when a light bulb went off in her head.

"Oh my God." She exclaimed into the empty room, shooting up from bed. "How could I have forgotten?"

She grabbed her clothes and hurriedly took a shower, before running down the stairs.

"Mum, have you started the cake?!" Ginny asked, coming to a halt in front of her mother.

"Yes Ginny. I started it about an hour ago, couldn't you smell it?"

Ginny shook her head, "I was sleeping."

Her mother laughed, "Well, that didn't stop your brother." She gestured to the other room where Ron sat at the table, looking both ways before dipping his finger into a frosting container.

"Ew, gross Ron. Knock it off." Ginny said, running into the kitchen, snatching the chocolate frosting from him. "That's going on Harry's cake."

"What? I was just trying some. I needed to make sure it was good enough to put on the cake."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Right." She turned around quickly, going to place the container on the counter before looking down at the smooth, rich chocolate. Making sure her back was completely towards Ron, she dipped a finger inside before quickly putting it in her mouth, smiling at the taste. Harry would love it.

"Here Mum, keep an eye on this please? Don't let Ron eat it. I want his cake to be perfect."

"It will be dear, don't worry."

Ginny nodded before walking into the entry way to grab her keys from the table.

"I'm going to pick up Harry's party stuff. I'll be back in a bit."

After making sure her mother had heard her, Ginny walked through the door with a pocket full of money. She had some decorations to pick up.

--

"Looks good." Fred commented, stepping back to admire their work. He had just finished taping balloons to the floor in the corner of the room.

"Yeah, this is going to be the best birthday party he's ever had."

Ginny snorted, "Of course it's going to be the best birthday party he's ever had. He's never had one before."

Ron, the twins and Mrs. Weasley looked at Ginny in surprise.

"He must have had a birthday party before now."

Ginny shook her head, "Nope."

"Why?" Ron questioned, bewildered about someone never having had a birthday party before.

"Well," Ginny started a bit cautiously, "I'm sure his parents threw him one when they were alive but his relatives… they didn't like him very much."

'_That's the understatement of the century'_ Ginny thought to herself, glaring at the how they had treated him.

Mrs. Weasley's face saddened, "What do you mean by that?"

Ginny sighed, knowing Harry would feel horrible if her family knew why.

"They just, didn't like him Mum." She gave her mother a look that told her they were ending the conversation.

Mrs. Weasley got the hint, deciding not to press the matter. "Well, if he's never had one before, we'll make sure it's one he'll never forget."

Ginny smiled at her mother, "Thanks Mum, it'll mean a lot to him."

Mrs. Weasley smiled back, helping her daughter with a few more streamers.

"Well, Harry deserves a brilliant party. He's great, a really good bloke. He was fun hanging out with at the game the other day. And he's really funny, pretty smart, cool-"

"He's taken Ron." George said, causing Fred to laugh beside him.

Ron's face turned beat red, "That's not what I meant!"

Ginny snickered, giving George a high five at the joke.

Ron glared at them all, "Laugh it up."

Mrs. Weasley put an end to the teasing before making her way into the kitchen to check on the cake.

"What time's he getting here?" Fred breathed, in the process of blowing up a balloon.

"Four, Draco's bringing him."

"Draco?" Ron questioned, "Am I missing something? Who's Draco?"

"Harry's roommate and best friend."

"Oh," Ron said, taping a sparkling _Happy Birthday_ sign across the room, moving quickly away as some glitter fell from the banner and onto the floor. "I didn't hear Harry mention him at the game."

"Probably because their friendship has been on the rocks for a while."

"Why?"

"Because of me."

"You." Fred laughed, "What have you got to do with it?"

"Well, Harry's the only family Draco has and kind of vise versa. Since I've been with Harry, he's gotten a bit jealous, thinking they aren't going to be friends anymore."

"That's ridiculous." George commented, "Just because a bloke's got a girlfriend doesn't mean they forget about their friends. How are they going to drift apart if they live together?"

Ginny shrugged, "I don't know, just a fear he had I guess. He's starting to get over it though, so don't give him a hard time when he comes. He might be a bit… reserved. So if he is don't try to pry anything out of him with your jokes. Like you usually tend to do…"

"Ok, ok we get it Ginny." George exclaimed.

"Yeah, we'll be on our best behavior." Fred said, raising his right hand, "Scouts honor."

"You better be." Ginny warned, turning back to a colorful streamer she was making. "Tonight's got to be perfect."

--

"Where are we going?" Harry said for the umpteenth time, sitting in the passenger seat blindfolded.

"To a place."

"Where?"

"In London."

"Why can't I know?"

"Because it's a surprise for your birthday."

Harry sighed, leaning his head against the window.

"Are we almost there?"

"Quit complaining, we'll be there soon."

"We'll be where soon?"

"Dear God, will you _please_ be quiet? I'll tell you once we're there."

"Fine." Harry huffed, slightly annoyed. He wanted to know where Draco was taking him. If it was some strip club, he'd regret it.

Another ten minutes passed until Harry felt the car slow to a crawl before stopping.

"We've stopped."

"Thank you for the report captain obvious."

Harry rolled his eyes, hidden from the blindfold, "I mean, is this it?"

"Yep this is it."

"Good." Harry said, reaching for the blindfold.

"Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"Uh, you said we've stopped. I'm taking off the blindfold."

"No, just hang on a second. I'll lead you to where we are going."

Harry merely nodded, listening as Draco got out of the car, and a few moments later, pulled his open.

Helping him out of the car so he wouldn't trip, Draco lead Harry up the short path to Ginny's house, pushing open the door.

"Ow! Hey watch where you're bringing me."

"Sorry, almost there."

Draco held onto Harry's arm as he brought him into the living room.

"Ouch, damn it Draco!" Harry said angrily, rubbing his head, having ran into the end of the wall. "Can I take this blasted thing off?"

"Yes." He finally said, stepping away from him.

"Thank you." Harry exclaimed, whipping off the blindfold. He blinked, squinting into the room. It was complete dark. Confused, he felt the cloth in his hands, no longer on his head. Why couldn't he see?

"Draco? What's-"

"SURPRISE!"

Harry reeled backwards as the light flickered on, revealing six beaming redheads. A bright light flashed again, as George stood up, camera in hand.

"That was a fantastic picture. Total look of surprise." George said, smirking towards a speechless Harry.

"Wha…?"

"Happy birthday Harry." Ginny said, ignoring her family behind her as she leaned up, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a quick kiss.

Harry looked around, the shock wearing off slightly. The room was decked out in colorful decorations. Streamers hung from the ceiling fan and a big sign with the words _Happy Birthday Harry_ was hung across the back wall. Many balloons filled the room, some with the words _Happy Birthday_ splayed across them. A stack of presents was off on one side of the room, piled high on a small table.

"What's all this about?"

"It's your birthday isn't it?"

At Harry's blank look, Fred groaned. "It's _not_ your birthday? Nice going Ginny."

"No, no, it is my birthday. I just… wow. No one ever done this for me before."

"Well about time someone did." Mrs. Weasley said, pulling him into a tight hug. "Happy Birthday Harry."

Harry hugged her back, still stunned. They did all of this for _him_? He wasn't even apart of the family. As he stared around at their smiling faces, Harry's momentarily clouded with shame and embarrassment, thinking back to a night much different from this, when he had not known any of them.

After Mrs. Weasley let go, Mr. Weasley walked up to him, offering him his hand before pulling him into a hug also.

"Happy eighteen birthday Harry."

"Yeah, welcome to adulthood." The twins said simultaneously, slapping him on the back.

Harry looked around at all the smiling faces, his eyes landing on Draco.

"You were apart of this?" He asked, shocked.

"Yep," He smirked, "Ginny told me about it at the restaurant after the mall. Told me to bring you over here for a little gathering."

Harry turned to Ginny, "So you _were_ talking about me."

"Oops, guess the cats out of the bag now." She said, giving him teasing smile.

Harry looked around at the group, deeply touched. They'd done all of this just for their daughter's/sister's boyfriend.

"I don't know what to say."

"A thank you would about cover it." Ron said, walking up to give Harry a high five, "That's all you have to say."

"Well, I- thank you." He said sincerely.

"You're welcome dear." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at him kindly before addressing everyone in the room. "Is everyone hungry?"

A collective yes was heard, so the woman bustled off into the kitchen, getting things ready.

"Well sit down, sit down." Mr. Weasley said, giving Harry, Ginny and Draco one of the couches.

"So Harry, Draco, how long have you two been friends?"

"About three years now." Harry answered with Draco nodding in agreement.

"And you both have lived together for that time correct?"

"Yeah." They said simultaneously.

Mr. Weasley turned his attention to Draco, "And how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Oh alright." He said, nodding. "And you don't live with your parents either?"

"Ah, no." Draco said, sneaking a glance at Harry, "They emancipated me a few years early."

"Interesting." He opened his mouth to say more but a voice from the kitchen interrupted him, saving Draco from anymore pressing questions.

"Alright you lot, time to eat."

Everyone got up from their chairs, making their way into the kitchen.

Dinner went smoothly as the group talked and laughed. Even Draco joined in every once and a while. Mrs. Weasley and the twins disappeared after dinner into the kitchen to retrieve Harry's cake, Ginny and Ron staying to distract him as they got it ready.

As they came out of this kitchen, Harry's eyes went wide. They were holding a three tier cake that was cover in white frosting. The tips of each tier were done with chocolate all the way around the cake. It had colorful sprinkles on nearly every inch of it and large lettering candles stood on one side, spelling out the words: _Happy 18th birthday Harry._

Harry merely stared, hardly believing it, he was completely blown away. The group sang a rough happy birthday to him, before placing the cake directly in front of him.

"Go on Harry, make a wish." Ron said, grinning at him while eyeing the delicious cake.

"Yeah, blow out the candles."

Harry looked around at all the incredible people around him. He'd only know most of them for a short time but he still couldn't imagine his life without them. His eyes finally rested on Ginny. He saw the way her eyes light up in happiness, glad she could do something special for him. He smiled back, the warmth he held for her portrayed through his eyes. He closed his eyes, thinking for a moment before blowing out the candles, while everyone clapped around him.

He wished he'd never loose her.

They all quickly dug into the cake, Harry getting the first piece. He thought the cake was way too large for them but boy had he been wrong. Nearly the entire thing was gone, say for a few pieces. The Weasley's sure had an appetite; he now knew where Ginny got it from.

"Now, time for presents!" Ginny nearly squealed, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him into the living room.

"Whoa Ginny, slow down there, I'm completely stuffed." Harry said, holding onto his bloated stomach.

"Sorry, I'm just really excited for you." She said, giving him a winning smile that made him nearly melt. He was completely smitten for this girl.

She pulled him down to the floor, sitting next to him

Her family plus Draco sat around them, forming somewhat of a circle. Fred held a video camera in his hand, taping the present ceremony. He sat on the couch with George and their parents. Draco sat to the left of Harry and Ginny on a chair in the corner of the room, while Ron sat across from the couple.

Harry looked at the presents on the table, guilt slowly rising once again. They had gotten him presents, spent money on him. And Harry had only months ago ripped them off hundreds of pounds worth of items. His stomach twisted in an uncomfortable feeling as he stared at the people around him. They were too good for him.

"Really this is too much," Harry said, gesturing to the presents, "You didn't have to…"

"Nonsense," Mr. Weasley exclaimed, "Everyone deserves presents on their birthday. Now mind you, it's not very much. We didn't exactly know what you wanted…"

"This is plenty Mr. Weasley." Harry said, "Really."

"Mine first." The older man replied, handing Harry a rather heavy, fat present.

Harry smiled at the older man before ripping into the paper. He lifted his gift to the camera, smiling all the while. It was a thick book entitled, _TMC Movies_.

He looked up to Mr. Weasley curiously.

"You said you loved movies, you even work at a blockbusters. I thought you'd like this. It has every great movie ever made, dating back to the 1950's."

"Wow." Harry said, loving his gift, "Thank you Sir, it's great. I'll start that list soon."

He put it to the side, a small pleased smile on his lips as he saw Mr. Weasley's face brightened at hearing that he liked the book.

"Here's mine Harry." Mrs. Weasley said, handing him a squishy present.

Intrigued, Harry opened the gift, pulling out a large, emerald green sweater.

"It's exactly your size. I make one for all the children for their birthday and Christmas."

Harry's stared down at the green sweater, deeply moved. This obviously meant something to the woman.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley. It's brilliant." He gave her a wide, thankful smile.

Mrs. Weasley smiled back at him, her eyes watering slightly at the happiness he had on his face by a simple sweater. She looked away, trying to hid her watering eyes. "You're very welcome."

Harry felt the soft material between his fingers before throwing it on over his blue t-shirt.

"Wow, great job on the color Mum. It really brings out his eyes." Ginny commented, loving the way the sweater fit him snugly, outlining him underlying muscles.

Harry grinned, pleased Ginny liked it on him. It was incredibly soft and comfortable, just the perfect size. Not too tight but not overly roomy either.

"Who's next?" He asked, looking around at the others.

"Us." Fred and George exclaimed, handing Harry multiple small presents.

Harry opened the first, pulling out three bags of different candy. He pulled another bag towards him, opening it to find a handmade bound booklet.

"We made it." George said, "It's a collection of all the prank and gag ideas we've ever done or ever thought of."

"Yeah, so if you ever need to pull a major prank on someone, just look in that book. Guaranteed to make you laugh."

"Wow, I'm honored you trust me with such vital information." Harry joked, grinning at them.

"Well, you're in Harry. You are dating our sister after all."

Harry laughed, flipping through the book.

"This is brilliant, thanks you two."

"That's not it." George said, reaching over again to hand him another gift. "We got this for you too."

Harry grabbed the present from George's outstretched hand, his fingers pulling at the bow that had the gift wrapped together. Pushing multiple pieces of tissue paper to the side, Harry pulled out an impressive, black leather jacket. He studied it for several moments, touching the cool surface of the leather. He looked up quick to see the twins grinning at him.

"We've seen you wear that other jacket you have a few times now, noticed it was getting a little worn. We figured we'd get you a new one. Pretty nice huh?"

"This is great, I love it." Harry said gratefully before quickly trying it on, pulling at the collar to make sure it fit. He ran his hands down the smooth surface of the front, grinning as he looked down at himself.

"Nice, pretty snazzy Harry." Fred said, giving him two thumbs up.

"Yeah, it looks great on you, doesn't it Ron?" George said, waggling his eyebrows at his little brother.

Ron flushed, crumpling up a bit of wrapping paper and throwing it at his brother.

"Shut up." He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Happy birthday Harry." The twins exclaimed.

Harry put the book and candy aside, turning back around as Draco pushed a rather large box towards him.

"Happy birthday mate." The blonde said.

Harry pulled at the wrapping paper to find a large box with a picture of the stereo he had wanted on the side.

"No way, you got this for me?"

"Yep." Draco replied, smirking at his raven haired friend.

"Wow, thanks mate." He said, running his hand over the box. He read and admired the box for a few minutes, until pushing it aside as Ron waited to give Harry his gifts.

"Here Harry." Ron said, handing him two presents.

The first was the two new James Bond movies, something they had briefly talked about at the game. The second present was a framed photo.

"What's this?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Take a closer look at it."

Harry peered at the picture, seeing himself with a few members of the Chudley Cannon members.

"No way!" Harry exclaimed, looking at the photo in awe. "Where did you get this? I thought we just had the autographs?"

"I had a camera with me and decided to take a few pictures, got one of you and the team."

"Ron, this is… it's fantastic!" He said, giving Ron a huge grin. It was the best souvenir a person could get.

"What is it?" Fred asked, holding up the camera, "Tell the people what you got."

"Uh, wow, it's a picture of me and a few of the Cannon members."

"Cannon members?" Draco questioned, confused.

"Yeah, you know, the Chudley Cannons. I got the picture when Harry and I went to the game a while ago."

"You went to the Cannons game?" Draco asked, frowning. He had no idea they had done this. And why hadn't Harry brought him? He'd met the bloody members of the team, that wasn't something people got to brag about every day.

Harry looked at Draco hesitantly, knowing he'd be mad.

"Yeah. When I came for dinner Ron had mentioned how much he liked the Cannons. And being a Cannons fan myself, I invited him to go with me."

Draco kept quiet but pursed his lips; he did not look happy.

Harry turned back to Ron, thanking him sincerely for the gift.

"Last but not least." Ginny said, handing Harry a small present.

Harry slowly opened it, wondering what Ginny had bought him. He cleared away the wrapping and tissue paper to stare at a copy of _Watership Down_.

"Watership Down?" Harry read, confused. The book was about a colony of rabbits. A classic but very random. He didn't get it.

"Yeah." Ginny said, a beautiful smile spreading across her features. "When we first met, that day in the bookstore, you were trying to pretend to read a book from of the shelf. You didn't know I was watching." Ginny said, smiling at the memory, "Anyways, that," She said, pointing at the book, "Is the book you pulled out from the shelf."

Harry stared at her in awe, before looking back to the book. She remembered something like that? Something so insignificant at the time, and precise, Harry hadn't even noticed it at all.

"Wow, thank you Ginny." He chuckled giving her an endearing look, "I can't believe you picked up on something like that."

Ginny simply smiled, thrilled he liked his gift.

"So you were watching me that day huh?" Harry said, smirking at her, "You liked me too."

Ginny laughed, "I never said I didn't."

Harry opened his arms as Ginny leaned in, giving her a tight hug.

"Thank you Ginny. This was really thoughtful."

"You're welcome." She said, pulling back. She gave him a strong look, but the effect was ruined by the teasing glint she had in her eye, "I expect something like this when my birthday comes up next month."

Harry gulped nervously. He highly doubted he could beat that.

The group sat around in the living room, turning on music and talking loudly with one another, enjoying the festivities. Ron and the twins had gone back into the kitchen and came back with more cake. All the while, a lone figure sat brooding in the corner.

Sometime later, Draco cornered Harry in the living room.

"So you went to a Cannons game?" He tried to ask nonchalantly.

Harry sighed, turning to him. Might as well get it out of the way.

"Yeah, it was kind of last minute."

Draco nodded, but Harry could tell he was pissed.

"So why'd you go with him?"

"Cause he's a major fan of the Cannons."

"Didn't think to invite me? We could have all gone together."

"Come on Draco," Harry said, "Be realistic. You didn't even like Ginny and I was going to have you hang out with her brother and I? It would have made him incredible uncomfortable, you ignoring him the whole time. Or making comments."

"I wouldn't have done that."

"Yes you would have and you know it." Harry said in an obvious voice.

"Oh, I didn't realize you and her brother were such great friends." Draco replied, raising his voice slightly.

Harry shrugged, trying to calm the situation, "We're friends I guess, it's no big deal."

Draco scoffed, "No big deal? It is to me. You knew this guy for what, a few days, and asked him to go with you? Didn't think to invite your best friend? And the last time I asked you to a game, you bailed on me for your little girlfriend." Draco paused before frowning, "Come to think of it, you lied to me. You said you were going to go hang out with Ginny that day, not go to some game. You couldn't even be honest with me."

Harry cringed in embarrassment, sneaking a peak at the others across the room. They looked over at the pair of them with curious eyes.

"It's not like we're dating Draco, I can have other friends." Harry said, laughing lightly to try to ease the tension. "Come on mate, not here. It's not a big deal. Let's just enjoy the party."

"Oh so now we're mate again? Seems to me the last few weeks you haven't been to keen to be my friend. You'd rather hang out with _her_ than your own best friend. You'd rather even hang out with her brother, a bloke you hardly know, then your own best friend."

Harry tensed, "First of all _her_ name happens to be Ginny, my girlfriend. Secondly, I do hang out with you Draco-"

"Really? When's the last time we did something together? Just the two of us? We did plan on going to the mall together but then she _had_ to come along."

"You asked her!" Harry said, getting irritated.

Their voices began to fill the spacious living room.

Draco scoffed, "She invited herself. Whining about wanting to go. I had no choice but to ask her because it would have looked bad if I didn't with her carrying on like that. But you know what? I'm sick of it. This isn't you man, this isn't you at all. Putting a girl over your own friends, hanging out with the Brady Bunch." He said, gesturing to the redheads on the other side of the room. Not caring at all how loud he was being. "This isn't you. You're letting her change you. The old Harry would have never blow off his friends, especially for some girl. You're trying to be something you're not."

He then leaned in, smirking, "Wonder what they'd think of you if you told them who you _really _are and what you've done to them personally. Bet they wouldn't be too keen about you then eh?"

Harry stood ridged, anger slowly bubbling to the surface. But somewhere in the back of his mind, what Draco said filled him with a heavy weight. He was right, they'd hate him if they knew. He'd been lying to them this entire time.

"Get out of here."

"Gladly." Draco said coldly before storming out of the house, slamming the door shut. The house was silent as they all listened to the car drive away, the sound of the engine growing fainter with each passing second.

Harry stood still, embarrassed beyond belief. Draco hadn't been exactly quiet.

"Are you alright Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked, steeping over to him.

Harry turned to face them, an apologetic look on his face, "I'm really sorry about that. Draco just, he gets jealous easily. He's rather hot headed and over reacts about things. I didn't mean for him to ruin the party. It's been great-"

"Don't worry about it mate." Ron interrupted, stepping up to him as well, "I'm, uh, sorry about giving the gift to you in front of him. I didn't know it would cause any trouble."

Harry shook his head, "No, it was a great gift. You didn't know he'd get upset." He sighed running a hand through his hair, "Draco just, I don't know, gets threatened easily."

"It's alright dear." Mrs. Weasley said comfortingly.

They all stood in the living room, not knowing where to go from there.

Harry checked his watch, seeing it was _8:32_. He figured he could have normally stayed longer but he needed to call a taxi to get home.

"I'd love to stay longer but, well, Draco and I came together. I haven't got a ride and it'll take a taxi a while to get over here-"

"No problem Harry, I can drive you." Mr. Weasley began but Harry interrupted.

"I appreciate the gesture Mr. Weasley but it would take you an hour to get there and back, and that's with no traffic. It would be pretty late by the time you got back. I can call a cab."

"No Harry, that would be way too expensive." Ginny said. She walked over and grabbed his hand before turning to her parents. "Harry could stay the night right? He could sleep in Ron's room."

Harry shuffled awkwardly, "Oh no, I couldn't…"

They didn't even think twice, "Of course you can stay the night Harry. We'd love to have you."

"I haven't got anything with me for the night."

"It's alright, you can borrow something of Ron's. You seem to be about his height."

Harry paused, looking at their sincere faces. "If you're sure…?"

"Of course, I can drop you back off tomorrow when I go into work."

"Alright, um, thank you."

"Anytime Harry." Ron said walking over, slinging an arm around his neck. "Let me show you where you'll be staying."

Harry flushed but followed, Ginny right behind them. He really couldn't believe how nice the entire family was, they'd done so much for him in the last day alone. As he walked up the stairs to Ron's room, listening to the redhead talk, Draco's taunting voice came back to the forefront of Harry's mind. No matter how much he changed, no matter how good a person he was trying to be, Draco was right. He couldn't erase what he use to be and what he'd done.

--


	25. Coming Clean

**Chapter Twenty Four: Coming Clean  
**

Harry rose groggily, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He looked around the room, confused about his surroundings. This wasn't his room. Chudley Cannons posters covered the walls, filling the room with vibrant orange. Clothes of various shapes and colors were strewn across the floor. The carpet, a deep blue, was soft and squishy, completely different from the carpet in his flat. The walls were a rich white with deep oak wood paneling the room, from the floor to halfway up the walls, giving the room a sort of den vibe. Harry stared around, trying to think hard about the previous night. Where was he?

A loud snore from across the room drew Harry's attention. Tossing the blankets aside, he stood up and walked over to the source of the noise, seeing short red hair peeking out from under the blanket.

The previous night slowly came back to him as he stared at the redhead. Ah, he was in Ron's room. He looked around the place, taking in it's appearance. When Harry and Draco had first been to the house, he had never gone to this room, Draco had taken it. Harry stood in the center of a large loft. A desk sat pushed up against one of the walls with what looked like a new computer sitting on top of it. A large TV was pushed against another wall, sitting snugly inside it's entertainment center. Video games lay near the TV with multiple gaming systems, the cupboards of the entertainment center packed with movies. A mini fridge sat near the desk, while a huge stereo sat on an oak shelf, CD's stacked hazardously on the shelf below. A few windows were places strategically throughout the room, filling it with warm light. Harry thought the place looked pretty cool.

He walked over to the computer, running his hands across the cool surface, tracing the brand name lightly with his fingertips. His stomach twisted as he noted a computer was one of the many things they had stolen from here. Thinking this made him remembered what Draco had said last night at the party before he had left. What had Harry done for them? He'd stolen, that's what. It was never going to sit right with Harry for what he did to the Weasley's, the kindest people he'd ever met. Even though Ginny forgave him, he still had trouble keeping his guilt at bay every time he came into the house, or whenever Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly at him. He'd screwed them over, the people who were unbelievably kind to him, who had welcomed him with open arms.

Harry turned around sharply as he heard a loud snort, followed by quiet mumbling from Ron. The redhead sat up straight in his bed, hair frazzled, looking at him oddly.

"Who are you?" He asked in a raspy voice, cocking his head to the side.

"Uh, Harry?"

"Right," He said, shaking his head a bit. He cracked a smile, "I knew that. What are you doing here?"

"Your parents said I could stay the night. I didn't have a ride back to the city…"

"Oh, right, right." Ron said, running a hand through his ruffled hair.

He breathed deeply, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Mum's cooking. We better get down there, I'm starved."

Harry laughed, "Aren't you always?"

Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, "Yeah, I suppose your right. But with Mum's food, you can't really help it."

Harry had to agree. Mrs. Weasley's food was amazing.

Ron staggered over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

"You go ahead and dress in here, there's a small bathroom in the back." He said, gesturing to a door at the other end of the loft. "I'll go change in the other bathroom. Meet you downstairs."

Harry nodded, picking up his own clothes he had wore yesterday. He was currently wearing the clothes Ron had given him to change into for the night, a pair of green and black checkered bottoms and a white t-shirt. He spent the next few minutes getting ready, trying to fix his unmanageable hair so he looked somewhat presentable down in the kitchen. Splashing his face with some water, he exited Ron's room and made his way down to the kitchen.

"Good morning Harry." Mr. Weasley said. He was sitting at the head of the table, his glasses resting on the tip of his nose while he read the newspaper. He was already in his business suit, his briefcase on the floor next to him.

"Good morning."

"Well, go ahead and take a seat. Molly will get you something to eat in a moment."

"Alright, thanks." Harry said, pulling out a chair next to the older man.

"Was the bed alright last night?" The older man asked, his eyes peeking over the edge of his paper to glance at Harry.

"Oh yeah, it was great. I slept wonderfully."

"Good to hear." He said, smiling at Harry before returning to his paper. He reached out for his coffee, hand blindly fumbling in the air for a moment, before connecting with the mug. Without looking, he brought the cup to his lips, blowing on the steaming liquid softly before taking a sip.

"Good morning Harry." Mrs. Weasley said, making her way out of the kitchen carrying a gallon of milk. "What would you like for breakfast? I've made bacon, eggs and pancakes. Or I could whip you up some cinnamon oatmeal or get you some cereal if you'd prefer."

"Bacon and eggs sound great." Harry said, his stomach rumbling in agreement; he was hungry.

The older woman smiled at him, reaching out to pour him some milk. "Alright, one plate of bacon and eggs coming right up."

"Make that two, with some pancakes on the side please." Ron said, emerging from the stairs.

"Actually, could you make that three Mum?" Ginny said, appearing from the basement. She flashed Harry a smile, sitting down across from him.

"Of course, I'll be right back."

The four sat at the table for a few minutes in a comfortable silence.

"So, do you want to do anything today Harry?" Ginny asked, buttering a piece of toast that sat on the table. "We haven't been to the park in a while."

"Sure, I'm free all day. I've just got to pick up my check from blockbusters… then I'm yours."

Ginny grinned, "Alright, sounds like a plan. We'll go to the park. Dad," She said, turning to her father, "Could I ride with you then when you drop Harry off? That way he doesn't have to come back and pick me up?"

"Of course. Just be ready at ten. That's in-" He lifted his sleeve, checking his golden Rolex watch, "Twenty minutes."

"I'll be ready."

Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen, serving them their breakfast. Twenty minutes later, Harry and Ginny stood by the door, waiting for her father to put on his shoes.

"Thank you for having me. The party last night was great. And thank you for the gifts, I really appreciate them."

"Anytime dear." Mrs. Weasley said, giving him and Ginny a hug before turning to her husband to say her goodbye.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay in your room and loaning me some clothes Ron." Harry said to Ron, who stood leaning against the wall. He held the rest of the present's Harry couldn't carry by himself, ready to bring them out to the car.

"No problem."

Five minutes later they were on the road, driving into the city.

"I'll drop you off at your place Harry so you can unload your presents and get your car."

"That'll be fine, thanks Mr. Weasley."

The man nodded before reaching over and turning on the radio.

Nearly an hour, and some missed turns later, they arrived at Harry's apartment.

"This is where you live?" Mr. Weasley asked, staring up at the apartment building.

"Err, yeah." Harry replied hesitantly, glancing up at the apartment building as well. It wasn't as nice as their home, but he didn't think the flat was horrible.

"Not bad, not bad at all. And you said rents fairly cheap right?"

"Yeah, I manage to make it off my check from work."

"Huh, sweet little deal you've got." Mr. Weasley stepped out of the car with them, helping unload their things. "Well, I'd help you bring them up but I've really got to get going…"

"You've done more than enough, thanks Mr. Weasley."

The older man patted Harry on the back before hopping into the car.

"Here you two, go have some lunch somewhere, it's on me." He said, handing Ginny a fifty dollar bill.

"Thanks Dad." Ginny beamed, waving to her father as he drove down the street and out of sight. Turning around, she frowned as she spotted the wary expression on the raven haired teen's face.

"Harry?"

He sighed heavily, staring apprehensively up at the apartment building.

"Think he'll be up there?" Ginny asked, eyes etched with concern. She hated seeing him upset.

Harry shook his head, "I doubt it, but if he is, I won't be too happy. He's not my favorite person right now." He bent down, grabbing the large stereo and hefting it up. "Let's just drop of this stuff quick, then we'll get out of here."

"Alright." Ginny said, grabbing the rest of his presents before following him up.

Harry awkwardly unlocked the door and kicked it open, putting the stereo on the couch in front of him. He stood still and listened for a moment, not hearing any noise from within the apartment.

"I don't think he's here." Harry said, grabbing the things from Ginny and placing them in his room.

"Huh, an entire flat to ourselves." Ginny said, a teasing smile on her lips, "What ever could we do to pass the time?"

Harry grinned, walking over to her, "I could think of a few ideas…" He trailed off, giving her that lopsided grin Ginny found so endearing.

"Yeah? Does it go something like this?" She breathed, pulling him close to her. She placed a hand against his cheek, leading his mouth to hers. She kissed him deeply, a fiery passion connecting them. Harry pulled her hips close to his, loving the smell of her hair as he tangled a hand in her long, red locks. They kissed until the need for oxygen was so great, they were ready to pass out.

Ginny pulled back slightly, her fingers playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. She smiled dazedly at him, her eyes sparkling with warmth.

"Something like that." Harry breathed cheekily, his eyes twinkling with mirth, "But I was thinking something a _bit_ more like this." He continued, pulling her more roughly to him, before twisting around and falling back onto the couch.

Ginny laughed lightly, sounding like heavenly music to his ears. He loved it when she laughed, knowing that she was happy. Especially with him. He flipped them over so he was on top, their bodies molding together.

He smiled tenderly at her, brushing hair back from her face with his fingertips, tucking it behind her ear.

"This is nice." Ginny said softly, her arms circled around his back.

"Yeah." Harry agreed, shifting to the side slightly so his weight wasn't crushing her.

He gazed at her for a long moment before leaning down, capturing her lips in a kiss. Ginny sighed into his mouth, pulling him closer, resting her hands on either side of his head. Harry kissed her jaw before trailing hot kisses down her neck. He nibbled on her collarbone lightly, enticing a soft moan from the beautiful redhead beneath him. He placed his arm underneath her head, trying to support himself, while his other arm rested on her hip. He slowly moved it up and under her shirt slightly, rubbing his thumb gently over her smooth, pale skin.

They continued on like this for a long time, completely forgetting about the party, Draco, and the park. Just basking in each others warmth, and loving the time they had alone together.

--

"Alright, this'll only take a minute." Harry said, opening the car door and sliding out. He jogged up to the front door and stepped inside, making his way to the counter.

"Thanks, have a good day." He heard the higher octave voice that was Kyle say to a woman at the counter before Harry drew his attention.

"Harry, hi. What are you doing here today? It's your day off."

"I know Kyle, I just came for my check."

"Oh right." The curly haired blonde said, adjusting his glasses. "Let me get that for you."

Kyle moved over and unlocked a drawer from beneath the counter. He shuffled around for a good couple of minutes until he pulled out a long, white envelope.

"Here you are." He said, handing over the check.

"Thanks." Harry replied, giving him a smile and nod. He turned to leave but was stopped at the sound of Kyle's voice.

"What are you doing today?"

"I'm going out with Ginny."

"Oh, alright." He said blushing a bit, causing Harry to smirk. So Kyle had a bit of a crush on Ginny did he? That was interesting. He couldn't exactly blame the bloke; he had good tastes. Ginny looked fantastic.

"See you later mate." Harry said, waving and heading out the door.

He got back inside the car, putting his check inside the glove box.

"I think Kyle has a bit of a crush on you."

"Really?" Ginny asked, surprised but chuckling slightly, "What gave you that idea?"

"I mentioned your name and his face went all red."

Ginny laughed, before feigning a cocky expression, "Glad to know I have options."

"Hey." Harry exclaimed, sending her a playful glare. "You're with me."

Ginny smiled and leaned in to kiss him, "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Harry smiled back, warping his arm around her shoulders as he put the car into gear and headed off towards their park.

"It's nice out today." Ginny commented, strolling hand in hand with Harry down the paved paths of the park. They were currently walking alongside the lake, the one Harry had fallen into on their first date.

"Yeah, it's a nice change to the crappy weather we've been getting lately. I love the rain, but it's just been _too_ much."

Ginny nodded, leaning her head against his broad shoulder as they walked. The wind swept against them, whipping some hair into her face. She reached up with her free hand, slipping her hair back behind her ear.

"Hey, where'd you get that?" Harry asked, noticing a sparkly bracelet on her wrist.

"What? This?" Ginny asked, raising her arm. At Harry's nod she continued, "Oh, it used to be my grandmother's. My mum's mum. She passed away about ten years back, and Mum gave me this bracelet about three years ago, when she thought I was old enough to take care of it. I had been pretty close to her, being her only granddaughter. Mum had worn it for a long time because it matched a golden locket she got from my gran also, but I don't know where it is anymore. I haven't seen it in a while."

Harry tensed beside her, trying to relax so Ginny wouldn't notice. A golden locket. Most likely the very one that was sitting inside his dresser drawer at the moment, underneath his socks. Harry looked away guiltily. That same heavy feeling was creeping back into his gut, something that he could never quite shake off.

"Ginny." He said hesitantly, walking a bit slower. "I was thinking of doing something, and I'd like your opinion on it."

Ginny looked at him curiously, "What is it?"

"Well," Harry began, a serious expression on his face. "I think… I'd like to pay your parents back."

"For what?" Ginny asked, perplexed. She couldn't imagine what for.

"For the things I stole." He said bluntly, stopping and turning to look at her.

"Oh." Ginny said, not quite sure what to say.

Harry knew this subject was a bit touchy but he plowed ahead; he had to get this off his chest.

"I feel awful for it Ginny, the way I used to be. For what I did. Your parents are so… so _great_, your whole family is. They didn't deserve something like that happening to them. I know I can't replace the things we sold, and I can't undo what I did, no matter how much I want to. But, I'd like to make it up to them somehow. And paying them back is the least I could do."

"But… how would you do that? I mean, you can't just give them cash, they wouldn't have a clue as to what it was for and would never accept it."

"I'd tell them Ginny." At her surprised look he continued, swallowing nervously, "What I did."

Ginny remained silent for a long time, staring pensively out at the lake. Harry grew more worried as the seconds past, the small seed of doubt growing in the back of his mind. What if she was reconsidering them because of what he'd done? What if she called it off? He cared about her so much… he couldn't fathom the idea of losing her and go back to the bastard he'd been before. She was so good for him.

"I'll be there with you the entire time, when you tell them."

Harry blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair to calm his jittery nerves.

"Do you think it's a good idea?"

"It's a honorable one."

Harry grew silent, staring forlornly at the ground, watching as a small ant struggled with a crumb it had found, the burden too much to carry. "Will they forgive me?"

Ginny sighed, slipping her hand in his once again, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I think they would. If they knew how you really felt about it. How… ashamed, I guess, you are. You'd just have to tell them how you feel, basically what you just told me. You'd have to come clean about, well," Ginny paused for a moment, her eyes flickering to his face before she looked back out to the lake, "Everything."

"What do you mean by everything?" He asked cautiously, although he could already guess the answer.

"I mean telling them _why_ you started stealing in the first place. And what events lead you to that decision. It would be the only way to explain it, to have them fully understand." Ginny said carefully, waiting for Harry's reaction.

"So, I'd have to…" He trailed off.

"Tell them everything you told me when you confessed. Your upbringing wasn't the greatest Harry, and that's a real understatement. It's understandable from your background that you'd end up stealing. You almost had to. But in order for them to understand, you'd have to tell them about the Dursley's. Not as some sympathy card to get them to easily forgive you, but in order for them to really… _get it_."

Harry heaved a sigh. He knew they might understand just as Ginny had, if he told them the whole truth, but he still didn't like the idea. He hated even thinking about his relatives, let alone talking about them. And then to tell the Weasley's about it…

After a few moments of thought, Harry nodded his head in resolve, jaw set in a determined way. He had to tell them, they deserved to know.

"When should I?"

"Tonight you could." Ginny offered, "Ron's going out with a friend of his and Fred and George have dates, it would just be my parents. And that's probably best."

"Alright, tonight then. Would I be able to join you for dinner?"

Ginny laughed lightly, "Harry my parents love you, especially Mum. They'll be happy to have you."

This line was meant to sooth Harry, but resulted like a punch to the gut, causing an immense amount of dread to fill him. If he told them, there was no coming back, and the consequences could be great. There was a great chance the Weasley's would no longer like him, would not welcome him in their home, and what's worse, would not let him date their daughter. If they told him he could no longer see her, he'd have to accept their wishes and back off. And rightfully so, Harry wouldn't be able to blame them in the slightest. If he were in Mr. Weasley's shoes, he'd tell the fool who had stolen from him to stay the hell away from his daughter, and their family in general.

--

"Dinner was lovely Mrs. Weasley, thank you."

"Oh I hope you enjoyed it, you didn't eat much…"

"We had a big lunch." Ginny offered for him but truthfully she knew how nervous Harry was about this dinner.

"Well, do you think you have room for desert? Molly made a fantastic Oreo cream pie."

"Sure." Harry said, anything to put it off longer.

Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen and came back out a few minutes later, carrying a tray of her pies. She put a tall glass filled with pudding in front of Harry. He looked closer at it, noticing the bottom half of the glass was filled with what must have been crushed Oreos. Pudding resided in the middle, while a thin layer of custard sat on top. The pie was topped off with a spiral of whipped cream, nuts sprinkled lightly on the top.

"This looks delicious." He commented, digging into the desert. This he could eat… it would be a perfect last meal.

Harry continued eating at a faster pace, trying to hide his nerves.

"Harry dear, is everything alright?" The older woman looked up from her own glass, watching as he scarfed down his food at an alarming rate, confusion and worry shinning in her brown eyes.

Harry stared at the woman before throwing Ginny a quick glance. She caught his eye and smiled supportably, giving him a slight nod. Harry took a deep breath, his hands shaking slightly under the table. It was now or never.

"Actually Mrs. Weasley, there is something wrong."

"What is it?" Mr. Weasley asked, sitting up in his chair, alert, a frown on his face.

"Mr. Weasley," Harry gulped, "Have you ever done something wrong in the past, something that you eventually regretted? Something you just felt terrible about?"

"Well sure." Mr. Weasley said, brow still furrowed. "We've all done things we're not proud of."

Harry grew silent for a moment, staring at the two of them. There was no turning back now.

"Well, there's something I did a while back that I regret so much. I feel terrible about it. This hurt people I came to become very fond of." He looked at the three of them and smiled. "And I'd like to make up for it now."

Harry blew out a breath, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. He ran a nervous hand through his hair before standing up, digging around in his pockets.

Pulling out his hand, the other three saw a long, golden chain clutched in his fist, a golden heart shaped locket attached to it.

"Here." He said, shame written clearly on his face. "This is your's"

Harry reached over and placed the locket in front of Mrs. Weasley, who stared at it very confused. She slowly reached out to pick it up, immediately feeling the engraved writing on the back.

She gasped, holding a hand to her heart. Flipping open the locket, she looked inside, seeing a picture of her family.

"My locket." She exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I thought I'd lost it, I haven't seen it for months… It belonged to my mother. I remember getting it on my wedding day. She had gotten it from my father when they were young and she decided to give it to me because I was starting my own family. It had brought her so much luck, she wanted to pass it on to her only daughter." She ran her fingers over the cool golden surface. "Whe-Where did you get this?" She finally asked, looking up at Harry in complete and utter shock.

Harry didn't answer. He merely stuck his hand back inside his pocket, pulling out a wad of cash, bound together by a rubber band.

He placed the money in front of the other man.

"What's this?" Arthur asked inquisitively, picking up the money and shuffling through it. "Harry! This is well over a thousand pounds! Why are you giving me all this money?"

Harry looked down at his feet, not brave enough to even given them the decency of looking them in the eye. He heard a chair move and a moment later, felt a small hand slide into his, giving it a supportive squeeze.

"Because I owe it to you." He said quietly, still not looking up at them.

"For what?" Mr. Weasley asked, completely baffled.

Harry finally lifted his head up, looking the man straight in the eye.

"Mr. Weasley, a little over two months ago, someone broke into your home, stole your things and broke through a window to get out before the police arrived." Harry started, bravely trudging on, "A few weeks after that… they started dating your daughter."

The two of them sat blankly before Harry, not understanding, or not wanting to understand what he was saying.

"That money is to pay you back. I stole from you. _I_ was the one who broke into your home."

--

**A/N:** Cue dramatic music lol. Another long update, sorry. I just can't seem to ever get it out on time, or even in a decent amount of time. I'll try harder :P Thanks for the **reviews**, feel free to give more! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time!


	26. Confessions

**Chapter Twenty Five: Confessions **

"I don't understand." Mr. Weasley said, a bewildered expression on his face. "It was you?"

Harry said nothing, his whole body tense in anticipation. He merely nodded, still staring at the man.

Mr. Weasley sat in shock, his eyes fixated on the raven haired teen. He didn't know what to do, the confession was something he couldn't wrap him mind around.

"W-why are you telling us this?"

"Because I owe it to you." Harry said, shamefaced. "You've been so kind to me, inviting me to dinner, accepting me as Ginny's boyfriend, throwing me a birthday party, the first I'd ever had…" Harry trialed off, staring at his shoes. "You deserve to know the truth."

"_You're_ the one who stole from us?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed aghast, eyes flashing to Ginny. "Did you know about this?"

Ginny looked at her parents, standing strongly beside Harry, "Yes, and I forgave him."

Her father opened her mouth to speak but she quickly cut him off.

"I know what your thinking Dad, but just… Listen to him. I was devastated when I found out but then he, well, explained some things to me that made me forgive him."

Mr. Weasley pursed his lips, struggling to remain quiet. He trusted his daughter and if she said to hear him out, then he would at least listen to the boy.

"Well?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair, looking at the table, eyes a bit unfocused as he talked.

"My parents died when I was about one year old." Harry began, a bitter look on his face, "Both sets of my grandparents were gone and my father never had any siblings. So, I got stuck with my aunt and uncle on my mother's side."

His face became hard as he talked, "They hated me. Which is a vast understatement. They barley fed me, never paid attention to me and, well, my uncle had no problem trying to slap some sense into me… literally." At this he heard Mrs. Weasley gasp lightly, and looked up to see her eyes brimming with tears. He looked away however, unable to handle the pity.

"Anyways, I lived with them until I was ten. After a rather nasty fight with my uncle, were I nearly broke my arm, I couldn't live there anymore… _wouldn't_. They were, are, terrible people and I had had enough of being pushed around. So, I left."

"I hopped onto a bus in the middle of the night with a bag of food, what little I owned, along with some of my uncle's money, and went to London. I really had no idea what I'd do once I got there, but that fact mattered little to me at the time. I was away from my relatives and that's all that mattered."

He wrinkled his forehead in concentration, trying to remember what happened years ago.

"I ended up in some back alley, sleeping outside in the middle of October. I was cold and after a while, hungry. My food source running out." He shook his head, trying to clear the memories that came with many old emotions, ones he wasn't too happy to feel or remember. "To make a long story short. I had stolen some food from a bar in the alley and had kept coming back for more. I was desperate. I didn't want the police to find me, they'd make me go back to my relatives, something I would have rather died then do. Which I nearly did, thinking back on it. So many things could have happened to me." He mused, frowning as he continued on, "One day after about a week of stealing food from the bar, and sleeping in a small cleaning closet in the back, the owner of the place saw me at some point and let me stay. He turned the closet into a very small bedroom, just big enough to hold a mattress and a small nightstand he had put in. But it was good enough for me. I was use to far worse at my relatives."

Harry finally looked up at the couple as they sat listening attentively to his story. "I spent the next five years there, living in the bar. I eventually needed or began to want things. It started with clothes, some treats, something small and fun to occupy my time. Then turned into things I simply wanted, more expensive things. As basic as wanting a nice pair of shoes, to a small radio to listen to. Stealing was the only way I knew how to get money at my age. You could only find so much laying on the street. I didn't go to school, didn't have anyone to help me. It seemed like the only way to go."

"Then a few years later I got emancipated by the government. I had just went to them to try to see if I could get it… I was still fairly young. They hadn't really had a choice. I was a tough kid who had grown up on the streets, wouldn't go into a foster home and didn't have any family that they knew of. So I got it pretty easily. I moved into a small flat, the very same one I have today, and paid with it the only way I knew how. To steal."

"I then met Draco. His parents, well, they didn't really want him and we had met earlier by chance in London. He came looking for a place to stay and just stuck around. It was kind of nice to have someone to hang out with, after being alone for so long. And we kind of, started doing it together."

He shook his head now, "We had been stealing from a rather rich family's house, and the cops came. They chased us down the street and I let them catch me so Draco could get away." He looked down, disgusted with himself. "I spent _six months_ in juvi. I hadn't learned much though, because the second I got out, Draco had his mind set on a house to steal from… Your house."

Harry paused momentarily, heart clenching with guilt. "That night, stealing from your home, changed my life forever. I-well, I was intrigued by your family, the picture in the locket." He said, gesturing to the small item on the table, "You were… happy. Something that I couldn't understand, at all. I grew up in a home with a family so unlike the one in the picture. I just-"

He trailed off, running a shaky hand through his raven hair and sighed heavily. His face, which had previous been hard and bitter, twisted into a small, soft smile. "Then I met Ginny."

He turned to her and smiled; he'd always be grateful for meeting her.

"I just happened to run into her. By pure chance. I knew who she was and where I had seen her from and I just followed her into a bookstore. She later caught me staring and we began talking."

He squeezed her hand before turning back to her parents, "Ginny changed me. I don't know why, but she did. She just, represented something I wanted so badly and had never had. A family, a happy life, to be normal. She had a positive outlook on life and hadn't grow up on the streets. She wasn't like anyone I had met before, she wasn't like the rougher people I had grown up with. I guess she gave me a new perspective on life. That I _could_ be happy. I didn't have to live like this the rest of my life. I didn't have to steal to survive anymore, I didn't have to end up back in juvi, or worse jail. She was just so… carefree."

Harry laughed softly to himself, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't really know how to explain it. She just made me want more with my life. Once she found out, she gave me an ultimatum. Her or the life I'd previously led, which wasn't making me very happy. So I vowed to stop, obviously choosing her."

The teenage boy's face turned to sorrow. "I told you all of this to make you maybe understand. Understand why I did it, where I came from. The way I grew up doesn't excuse what I did, but at first, it was the only way to survive and then, well, it was what I was use to. What I knew, it just became second nature to me, to get the things I wanted."

The room filled with a heavy silence, the two adults staring at the teenage boy. Neither of them knowing what to think.

Mr. Weasley looked at the young man in front of him, seeing his dark emerald eyes filled with sorrow and sincerity. He then turned his gaze to his daughter. She stood beside the young man, a strong and defiant look on her face. Looking a bit more closely, he was sure he saw a hint of worry in her eyes. He supposed she was scared they wouldn't accept him now that they knew.

The man sighed, suddenly looking much older, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Ginny, I'd like to speak with you in the other room please."

Harry glanced nervously at the red haired beauty beside him. She gave him an encouraging smile before following her mother and father into the living room.

--

"Ginny…"

"Dad wait a moment," Ginny said, holding up her hand, "He's sorry, you have no idea how sorry he is-"

"I could see that Ginny but, how well do you _really_ know this boy?" Mr. Weasley replied, sitting down heavily on a nearby chair. His wife sat on the couch across from him, while his daughter stood off to the side, trying to address them both.

"Well enough. I know the important things about him. Things he's just now told you and a bit more. You just kind of got the overall picture, I got a bit of a deeper look." She said, her face sad at the recollection of when Harry had told her all about _those_ people. "I trust him Dad. He means a lot to me."

"How do you know he's really quit?"

"He has. I mean, he's got a job, I've seen him work there. He has no need to steal anymore. I trust him, I wouldn't have taken him back if I didn't. He doesn't want to lie to me, he _wants _to change, and he has. That's why he came clean about everything."

"After you busted him." Her father added.

"Yes but he could have easily lied. And he came clean about _everything_. He knew he was going to lose me if he didn't and even though it was incredibly hard to share his past with me, he told me. And some things he told me were unnecessary but he told me anyways. I believe him," She smiled ruefully, shaking her head softly, "Those eyes can't lie. He told me the truth and now you, and I respect and admire that. He's telling the truth, he's really changed, and I trust him wholeheartedly."

"But he stole from us Ginny…"

"And he's trying to make up for it. He gave you over a thousand pounds he actually worked for! That money means a lot to him, knowing he got it the right way. He worked for it. Look, Dad, he's trying to make good. He really wants you to like him. The _real_ him. And that means knowing everything about him."

"But-"

"He could have _not_ told you, and just continued on, without you ever having a clue. It was a brave thing he did, coming clean. Dad, you're a lawyer for Pete's sake. You could easily throw him back into juvi or prison. Despite knowing this he still told you. He wanted to tell you the truth."

Silence reigned in the living room as the two eldest Weasley's thought about everything their daughter had said.

"Did-Did they really treat him so badly?" Mrs. Weasley said, eyes filled with pain.

Ginny grimaced, "He was sugarcoating it for you Mum."

Mrs. Weasley looked away, wiping away a small tear that was trailing down her pale cheek.

Ginny turned to her father, her eyes pleading with him. "Please Dad, just give him a chance. Doesn't it say something about him that he came clean to you? He really is the guy you've seen for the past few weeks, that wasn't fake. Just give him a chance."

--

The Weasley's made their way slowly back into the kitchen, after nearly an hour of discussion between them. Mr. Weasley led the two women, the first to see an anxious Harry sitting at the kitchen table. His fingers were laced together on the tabletop, a serious and worrisome expression on his face.

The teen looked up as they entered and immediately jumped up from his chair, standing stock still awaiting their verdict.

Mr. Weasley sat across from him, while Mrs. Weasley took a seat beside her husband, Ginny doing the same.

Harry gulped staring at the three. He glanced at Ginny but she wasn't looking at him. She kept her head down, face hidden from his view.

His attention then turned to the man in front of him as Mr. Weasley caught his eyes with a stern glance.

"You do know I'm a lawyer. I could have you thrown into prison."

Harry gulped, fear slowly filling up inside him. He had to tell them, it was the right thing to do. But Ginny… she had been so sure they'd forgive him.

He slowly nodded, looking away from the older man. "Yes Sir."

"Yet you told me anyways… why?"

"Because Sir, you just deserved to know. I wanted to pay you back. It wasn't right what I did and I know that now. Have know that actually, ever since I met Ginny. Your family's been so amazing and welcoming… It was just the right thing to do. Besides, I couldn't exactly give you a ton of money out of no where. I wanted to pay you back, and telling the truth was a part of that."

Harry closed his eyes, waiting for the blow. He cringed at the unrelenting silence that seemed to have dragged on for several minutes since the last time he spoke. He didn't want to go back to juvi, or go to jail, but he supposed he would if he must. He wouldn't try to run. He'd made a real mess out of his life, done things he wasn't proud of. If he had to, he would pay for the mistakes he'd made.

He must have zoned out for a moment, lost in his thoughts, because a second later he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, sweeping him into a fierce hug.

"I'm so sorry for what you had to go through." Mrs. Weasley said, hugging the boy tightly.

Harry stood in shock, staring up at Ginny who merely grinned before giving him a thumbs up behind her father's back.

Mrs. Weasley eventually pulled back, both hand's on the teen's shoulders.

"Thank you, for what you did today." She said, letting go fully before picking up the locket on the table, "This means so much to me and I had thought I lost it." She looked up at him, eyes shinning with unshed tears, "Thank you."

Harry stood, dumbfounded at what was happening. Weren't they sending him to jail?

Mr. Weasley now turned to him, standing in front of the boy. "No Harry we're not sending you to jail."

The teen blushed, not realizing he had said his fears aloud.

Mr. Weasley sighed before giving Harry a tired smile, "If Ginny's able to give you a second chance, then the least we can do is the same. We'll put this behind us Harry. I know how sorry you are and you've clearly made up for it." Mr. Weasley said, holding up the cash.

"Oh but that's not it Sir." Harry said, shaking his head, "I-I don't have the money _right now_ but I plan on paying you more. Granted I won't be able to pay you much each check I get, I do have bills, but you'll get it back. I know it can't make up for the valuable things I sold or broke but-"

"Harry." Arthur said, resting a hand on the young man's shoulder. "This is more than enough." At Harry's objection he quiet the teen once more, "It is. You're sorry. We know that. You've apologized, paid us back and you spent six months in juvi. Not for this specific instance but you have before. Even though it wasn't juvi that changed you, you've learned your lesson… I hope."

"Yes, of course Sir. I won't do anything stupid like this again." He said sincerely.

"I hope so Harry, for your sake and my daughter's. She's rather fond of you." He smiled, before turning his expression to one of absolute seriousness. "If you ever pull something like this again, you'll be allowed nowhere near my daughter. Or the rest of the family."

"I understand." Harry said solemnly, his body still a bit numb from the unexpected, but immensely relieving turn of events.

Ginny walked up to him, a warm smile on her face. "I told you it would go over well." She said, a smirk playing at her lips.

"Thankfully." He whispered, grateful he had met such wonderful people. Most would have called the cops straight away.

"Now this can stay between the four of us. There's no need for the others to know."

Harry contemplated this for a moment.

"They should know." Harry decided, looking at her parents. "It affected them as well. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would like it if you told them."

Arthur nodded, "Of course, it's your choice. I'll tell them later tonight."

Harry nodded gratefully.

Ginny reached up and grabbed him, pulling him into a tight hug. He smiled and hugged her back just as tightly. Relief flooded through him as he held her, his heartbeat finally returning to normal. He couldn't believe this went so well. For once, things were going just right and his life was turning around. He had told the people he had hurt and they had forgiven him. He could finally move on and put the past behind him.

--

**A/N:** A quick update, what a fluke! I know nothing dramatic happened as some of you probably thought would, but this chapter was just about him coming clean, and setting some things up for later on in the story. I figured the Weasley's were a forgiving, loving sort, so it made sense that they'd give him another chance.

Thanks a lot for those of you still sticking with the story. It's taken a long time to get to this point, and there's a stretch to go, but I appreciate all of you reading this. And for the reviews! You have no idea how much those can cheer up a person, or just make them happy lol. So, thanks to all the old and new readers, make sure you **review**, and I'll update again soon. Happy reading!


	27. Considering The Future

**Chapter Twenty Six: Considering The Future**

Harry stumbled out of his bedroom, tripping over a shoe in the process. Passing through the hall and into the kitchen, he noticed the vacant room across. No Draco once again. He hadn't seen Draco for the past four days, and as far as Harry could tell, he hadn't been here at all. Not one thing had been moved or changed, including things in the blonde's room.

Draco not being here was completely fine with Harry however. Malfoy had been being more than a git recently, and not just about what happened at the party. It was ridiculous how jealous he got. It was like they were dating for Pete's sake. He understood where Draco was coming from, that he felt threatened, he didn't want another life taken away from him. But Harry could only reassure his friend so much before it got to a point of annoyance.

He couldn't necessarily blame Draco for his accusations too much. He _was_ changing. But he _liked_ how he was changing, something Draco couldn't understand. He liked not stealing anymore, he liked his job, liked working to make money. And he did like hanging out with 'The Brady Bunch.' as Draco so eloquently put it. They made him happy and it was about time he had a bit of happiness in his life. He knew things would most likely blow over, this… whatever with Draco. But in the mean time, Harry was pissed about the way his "friend" was acting. In Harry's honest opinion, Draco needed to grow up. He talked about how much they were friends, but Draco didn't have an ounce of respect for him, judging by the way he acted at the party, going off the way he did. So Harry was fine not talking.

Trying to take his mind off Draco and the whole situation, Harry threw together a turkey sandwich, sitting at the table and munching on his food, sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

As he got dressed for the day and drove to work, Harry reflected on the Weasley's. He'd been at their house a few times since he'd told them about his past and what he'd done. But surprisingly, they were the same as ever, having put it behind them and done just what Mr. Weasley said, forgive and forget. And, as promised, Mr. Weasley had told Ron and the twins about it. He had left out the finer details of Harry's life but had told them the gist of things. They had been shocked of course, and a little distant, but they had come around quickly with the help of Ginny and her parents.

The incident with Draco aside, life was looking up.

--

"Hey Kyle." Harry said, stepping behind the back counter.

"Oh, hey Harry." The curly haired teen checked his watch, "You're on time."

"You say that like it's some surprise." Harry said, opening some DVD cases to see if the proper movie was inside, "I'm always on time."

"Well, yeah, I know. But you actually have a few minutes to spare. That never happens."

Harry looked at the teen and merely shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"Anyways, what movie do you want to watch today?" Harry asked, shuffling through some movies. "Hey, how about Blades of Glory?"

"Err, it's a bit inappropriate. This _is_ a family store…"

"Right, how about… Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith?"

"Yeah, put it in."

Harry complied, watching as the teaser started.

"Ok, so what do you want me to do today?" Harry asked, swiveling in his chair to face the glasses clad teen who was restocking the coins in the cash register. "What me to stock? Rewind the tapes? Man the cash register?"

"Oh, uh… Choose whatever you'd like."

Harry nodded before bending down and grabbing the movie bin which was filled to the top. He placed it under his arm, his free hand grabbing a coke from the fridge.

"Alright, I'm off to stock then." Harry said. He picked up the first movie, checked the title and headed over to the new releases.

A few hours later, Harry was done stocking the movies and vacuuming the floor. He was now at the front counter, scrubbing vigorously at the surface.

"There, finally clean. I swear, if one more kid spills a bunch of junk on the counter again…" Harry trailed off, throwing the cleaner and rag underneath the counter in the cupboard.

"Hey Harry, you want to stick around and split some Doritos for lunch?"

Harry shook his head, "Sorry mate but I'm off to see my girl."

"Going to buy her lunch?"

"Yeah. It's what makes me a good boyfriend." Harry grinned. He turned to look at the blonde, but he was no longer standing behind him. Instead, Harry found him ducked behind some shelves, placing a chair in front of him.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Harry asked, confused.

"Nothing." Kyle replied, ears tinted red.

"Alright, well, I've got to go. See you tomorrow then." Harry said, staring at the younger teen strangely at his more than bizarre behavior.

"No wait! You can't go!" Kyle exclaimed alarmed, continuing on in a hushed tone, "You've got to stay at the register, just for a minute."

"Why?" Harry asked, eyebrow raised. At Kyle's silence, Harry shook his head before stepping towards the exit, "Look I've got to go-"

"I can't do it right now. Please Harry, just do it for me." He asked the raven haired teen with pleading eyes.

"Why Kyle?"

"Because," He flushed heavily, "I can't see her." He mumbled.

"See who?" Harry repeated, bewildered, looking up at the customers to see a teenage girl with short brown hair standing by one of the rows. "Her?"

The blonde nodded.

"Err, why?"

Kyle didn't answer.

A sudden thought came to him and Harry had to fight back a laugh. "Do you fancy her or something?"

"Yes." He said hesitantly, face still beat red.

Harry chuckled to himself. "Come on Kyle, get up."

The blonde looked at him, panicked. "What? No, I can't."

"You're being ridiculous. Look, you're not going to impress her too much if she comes up here and sees you like that." Harry said, gesturing to him cowering behind a chair.

With a bit more coaxing, Harry managed to at least get him to stand up; it was a start.

"Now, you're going to stand here and help her when she comes up."

His eyes went wide as he stared at Harry in distress, shaking his head frantically.

"No, no, no. I can't."

"Why not? Do you go to school with her?"

"Yeah but-"

"Well then you know each other."

"Err, no we don't."

"Why? Haven't you ever talked to her?"

The blonde shook his head.

"Why not?"

Kyle looked away, embarrassed. "I don't know how." He mumbled.

"To talk to her?"

Kyle nodded.

"Well, you just talk to her Kyle. And if it goes well, ask her out."

"But I can't. She's perfect and I just… I'll make a fool out of myself."

Harry thought for a moment, before pushing him to the register.

"First of all, girls like a confident guy. If you're sitting there like a bumbling idiot, then yeah she's going to think you're weird. Anyone would. So be confident. Just talk."

"I can't."

"Yes you can." He looked up, seeing the girl coming towards them. "Now here she comes, just check out the movie for her. It's not that complicated. It'll get the ball rolling so next time, when you see her at school, you can say hello."

Kyle looked up to Harry, his face pale, a look of growing dread appearing as the girl stepped closer and closer.

"Good luck." Harry said, biting his cheek to hold back a laugh. He patted Kyle on the back before making his way over to the exit. He turned around briefly to see Kyle talking nervously to the girl in front of him. The girl smiled at Kyle warmly, causing him to knock the pen cup to the floor. Harry chuckled slightly and shook his head as he walked out the door. He'd have to work on that.

--

Harry stepped off the escalator, looking around at the nearby shoppers. He made his way down the isles, looking for a mane of red hair. He past a row of books but doubled back, a stupid grin immediately forming on his face. He snuck down the isle and watched as Ginny stacked book after book on the table. Her hair fell messily out of her bun and she continuously swiped at a strand falling in front of her face.

Harry quietly walked up behind her before placing his hands on her hips, quickly swirling her around. Her eyes were wide with shock as she turned to him, spotting his smile for a split second before he swooped down, capturing her lips in a kiss.

He pulled back several long moments later, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"Hey." He said quietly, rubbing her cheek softly with the pad of his thumb.

"Hey." Ginny replied, a dazed and content look on her face. It quickly clear however as she slapped Harry lightly on the shoulder, pushing him back a little. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Harry chuckled, "Sorry, I saw the opportunity and couldn't resist."

Ginny tried to give him a stern glare but a grin broke out as she stepped back into his arms, hers going around his neck.

"Let's try it again, now that I'm more prepared." She leaned up, pulling his head down to meet her lips. They kissed one another lightly, hands becoming a bit more adventurous as time went on. Ginny suddenly pulled back, causing Harry to groan in protest.

"What-"

Ginny pushed him back slightly and clear her throat, trying to straighten her clothes as best she could.

"So you're going to have to go down two isles and it'll be on the shelf to your left." Ginny said loudly, acting very business like.

"Ginny, what-" Harry began but stopped mid sentence as he looked down the isle to see her boss with another customer. Realization dawned as he understood her behavior. He glanced at her boss, watching as the large man flirted with a woman who was way out of his league, in Harry's opinion, and pulled Ginny quickly around the corner, pressing her up against the shelves and kissing her.

"Harry." She mumbled against his lips, relenting for a moment before pushing him away. She peeked her head around the corner, relieved to find her boss still flirting with the woman. "I can't do this right now…"

"Sorry." He said sheepishly, taking a step back. "You hungry? I brought you some food." He held up a bag, showing her the contents. "I got you a burger from Max's, and I ran over to that little shop on 2nd street and got those fries you love." Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Harry. "Oh, and I also got you," He drug around in the bag for a moment before pulling out a large drink with two straws. "A large chocolate malt topped with whipped cream and nuts from that ice cream stand we found. And two straws, it's more romantic that way."

"Oh Harry." She exclaimed, an apologetic look on her face; he was being so cute. "Sorry but I've already taken my lunch."

"But, you take your lunch at one on Friday's." He checked his watch, "It's one twenty six."

"I came in earlier today, so I've already taken my lunch."

"Ah." Harry said, rather disappointedly.

Ginny saw this and smiled, glad he wanted to spend time with her. She leaned up, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"But you know what? I have tomorrow off, so how about you come over? We can hang out in the basement, maybe watch a movie. And if I tell Mum you're coming, she'll make something delicious; she always does for you when you come over now. Everyone will be home but we can have the basement to ourselves. And you could stay for dinner."

"Sounds like a plan." Harry said, already looking forward to it. "I suppose I should let you get back to work then."

She smiled ruefully, "Unfortunately."

Harry smiled before giving her a quick kiss, "I'll call you later ok?"

"Alright, see you tomorrow."

"What time do you want me?"

Ginny thought for a moment, "How about eleven? Then we have the whole day to hang out."

"Alright, I'll see you then." Harry kissed her one last time before he waved and made his way to the escalators.

--

"Hello Harry." Mr. Weasley said, opening the door wider for the young man. "Come in, come in."

"Thanks." Harry said moving past the red haired man.

"So Harry," Arthur continued, shutting the door behind him, "How are you? Haven't seen you in a few days."

"I'm good Sir, thanks. I've just been busy picking up more hours at work. How about you?"

"Oh I've been great." He said, an excited spark in his eyes, "I've just got a new case assigned to me that-"

"Dad, please. Don't bore Harry with that." Ron said, emerging from the stairs.

Mr. Weasley gave a sheepish look, "Sorry about that Harry. Its just exciting to finally have a case, instead of just sitting behind the desk doing paperwork all day…"

"It's fine Mr. Weasley. I actually don't mind listening to it…"

Ron cut him off, "Trust me, it's boring."

"Alright, alright, I can tell I'm no longer wanted. I've got some work to do in the garage."

Both the boys muttered goodbye to the eldest Weasley before sitting down in the kitchen.

"What are you doing up so early?" Harry asked, joking with Ron.

"Ah, Ginny picked up some movies at the store and I wanted to watch a few before you both took them downstairs. I wasn't entirely successful though."

"You're welcome to come down and watch it with us."

Ron made a face, "Sorry but I don't fancy sitting down there while the two of you feel each other up. And that better not be going on." He warned, pointing a finger at Harry.

He chuckled lightly, "Nope, just going to watch a movie. But we may actually sit on the same couch, so if that's too much for you…"

Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, "Nah, that's not so bad. I could picture my sister with plenty of guys I wouldn't want her to be with down there. You though, you're alright I suppose."

"Thanks Ron." Harry said, happy to have his approval; even if he didn't need it.

"Where is Ginny by the way?"

"Oh, she got up kind of late. Fred and George turned off her alarm to get back at her for some blackmail she shared with us last night. They were getting on her nerves."

Harry laughed, "What was the blackmail?"

"Oh just something about Fred and George taking Dad's boat out for a joyride. They don't exactly have a license for it."

Harry opened his mouth to speak just as Mrs. Weasley came into the room, stopping short at the sight of Harry.

"Hello Harry, I thought I heard someone come in." The woman said, her kind eyes locking onto him, "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Harry shook his head, "No thank you. I had breakfast not too long ago."

"Well, if you ever want something, just help yourself." She said before bustling off, saying she had to do laundry.

Harry and Ron continued talking for sometime, Fred and George joining them a while later. About thirty minutes passed before Ginny appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, sorry for making you wait so long."

"It's alright." He said, getting up from his chair. She took his hand before pulling him towards the basement stairs. "Let's get to work on those movies. What do you want to watch first? Action/sci-fi or romantic/comedy?"

"I think the action one first." He looked behind him towards Ron, "Think Ron could join us? He said he wanted to watch one of the movies."

"Yeah sure, if you're fine with it. He's usually more than a little bored, so I think he'll have fun finally hanging out with someone other than his family." She said. At Harry's nod, she turned back to Ron, "You want to watch the movie with us?"

Ron jumped up from the chair, eager at the offer, "Sure, I'll get the popcorn and drinks."

Ginny nodded, "Alright, see you downstairs."

Two hours later, Ron sat in a chair off to the side, while Ginny and Harry sat on the couch in front of the TV. His arm was wrapped around her while she had her legs curled up, her body tucked under his arm. On the table in front of them sat their empty drinks and snacks, popcorn spilled all over the tabletop.

"That was awesome."

"Yeah, pretty good. The book's ten times better though." Harry commented, staring at the rolling credits on the screen.

"Always is." Ginny added, shifting a little to grab her drink, trying to drain the last bit of it. "Well, ready for the next movie or do you want to wait a bit?"

"I'm ready."

"Ok." Ginny got up, replacing the DVD with a new one.

"What's this one?" Ron asked, staring curiously as the previews flashed on the screen.

"He's Just Not That Into You. You're welcome to watch it with us if you want."

"Nah, that's alright. You two have your alone time. Besides, I don't need to watch that chick flick." Ron said rather unconvincingly. You could tell he wanted to stick around some more.

"You sure? It's really fine if you want to watch it with us Ron. It's not like we're going to be snogging when there's a house full of people here to walk in on us. And we're especially not going to do it with you right here."

"No, it's ok. You two go ahead, have your alone time." He said, a gloomy, bored expression appearing on his face. After Harry saw this, he decided to help a little.

"Stay Ron. It's suppose to be pretty good. Funny. Plus it's got Jennifer Aniston. What guy doesn't want to see her?" He turned to Ginny after seeing her send a playful glare at him. "What? You want to see Ben Affleck I bet."

Ginny contemplated this for a moment before her face broke into a grin, "Yeah, that's true. He was so good in Pearl Harbor. I know everyone was obsessing over Josh Hartnett but man, Ben Affleck…" She trailed off, blushing at Harry's questioning look. He chuckled as she turned away, busying herself with the movies on the table.

"Well…" Ron said, fidgeting slightly, "If you're sure…"

"We are Ron. Just go get us some more food and drinks."

"Fine. Be right back." He said before taking the stairs two at a time.

Ginny looked to make sure he was gone before turning to Harry.

"Thanks for that Harry."

He looked at her curiously, "For what?"

"For inviting him to watch it with us. Ron gets pretty bored over the summer not having anyone to hang out with. Most of his friends are such stick-in-the-mud's, they never want to do anything. And the ones that are active, travel over the holidays. All he usually has is family to spend time with, and that's not always so fun. Especially when myself and the twins are gone, then he only has Mum and Dad."

Harry shrugged, "No problem. I enjoy hanging out with him, he's a good bloke."

Ginny smiled at this, glad Harry considered Ron a friend. She was sure Ron felt the same.

She jumped on the couch next to him and leaned in for a quick kiss. Ron came down a few moments later, carrying the ultimate movie supplies. The bowl for popcorn was refilled to the brim, a few kernels falling out as he walked. The drinks splashed against the side of the glass, nearly tipping over as Ron tripped at the end of the stairs. Making it safely over towards them, he carefully set down the tray before pulling out two unopened bags of twizzlers. He plopped down on the chair, tossing a bag to them. He sat on the chair and talked to Harry and Ginny while waiting for the movie to start.

--

"Dinner's ready!" They heard Mrs. Weasley yell from upstairs. The movie had thankfully just gotten over.

"Perfect timing." Ron said, dashing towards the stairs.

Harry jumped up also, grabbing onto Ginny's hand to pull her up. "Let's go before he eats it all."

Ginny laughed, before slowly getting to her feet. "How can you two be hungry? We just at a ton of junk food."

Harry grinned but shrugged, "We're growing boys, we need our food." He paused as he heard Ginny stomach growl loudly, "And apparently you're hungry too."

They ran up the stairs together, looking on as Ron and the twins anxiously waited for their mother to bring the food to the table.

"Mum hurry up!" Ron complained, holding onto his stomach, "I'm like starving here."

Mrs. Weasley sent him a stern glare, "Well, you could get up and help."

That shut Ron up.

"I'll help you Mum." Ginny said, walking into the kitchen with her mother.

Harry took a seat by Ron, talking to him about the movie they'd just watched.

"Could someone go get your father? He's out in the garage again."

"Uh-oh, it'll be hard to tear him away from that." Fred said, George nodding in agreement beside him.

"Yeah, you go get him Ron." George said, "We're busy at the moment."

"What? No you go get him. It's like pulling teeth."

"I'll go get him." Harry said as the twins and Ron argued back and forth. He walked away, unnoticed by either of them.

Harry walked outside, feeling the fresh evening breeze as it swept back his hair. He jogged across the lawn, heading to the garage where loud clanking noises were heard. He saw the garage door open and stepped inside the cool shelter, looking for Mr. Weasley.

"Uh, Mr. Weasley?"

He heard a sharp bang followed by a groan as Mr. Weasley emerged from behind a car hood that was up. He was sweaty, his glasses askew, while his hands were black with grease and oil, some of the substances smudged on his face.

"Oh, hello Harry." He said, wiping his brow with a handkerchief, "What can I do for you?"

He pointed back behind him, "Dinner's ready."

"Oh already? Time sure flies…" He said, trailing off. He looked down at the car disappointed, "And I couldn't even figure out the problem."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, stepping over a pile of parts on the ground. He looked down at the engine with the older man.

"Well, I can't seem to find what's wrong with the car. The engine light keeps coming on and when I drive it, it won't accelerate very well. Doesn't go above twenty. I changed the spark plugs a while back, thinking that could be the problem. I double checked my work but everything is where it should be." The man sighed, leaning his hands against the car. "I just don't know what's wrong."

Harry thought for a moment, trying to think what could be wrong also. He had been doing his own repairs on his car for years, maybe he could help the man out.

"Do you have any way to lift the car up?"

"I've got jacks." Mr. Weasley said, pointing to a few jacks in the corner of the garage.

"Alright." Harry exclaimed, grabbing the jacks and putting them under the front left and right sides of the car. When he got it as high as he wanted it, he slid under the car, flashlight in hand.

"Ah, Harry you shouldn't be under there." Mr. Weasley said, looking worriedly at the teen. "That's not the most stable thing you've rigged up…"

"It's alright, Mr. Weasley. I do this all the time."

The older man look on for a good ten minutes as the teen lay under the car, clanking noises heard for minutes.

"Arthur, what are you doing out here? It's time to eat." Mrs. Weasley said, coming to stand before her husband. She turned as she heard the noises under the car. "Who's that?"

"It's Harry."

"Harry?" Mrs. Weasley said surprised, "I thought he was inside using the bathroom."

"Nope." Harry grunted out, sliding out from underneath the car. He had a little oil on his hands, his shirt scuffed up from the garage floor, but was much cleaner than the older man beside him. "I think it's a transmission problem. You either need to clear it, or get it replaced. I'd have to take a longer look at it to know for sure."

"Really?" Arthur said, clearly surprised, "Huh, I never even thought about that." He looked at the teen imploringly, "How do you know that?"

Harry shrugged as Mrs. Weasley offered him a clean handkerchief, "I've been working on my own cars for years. I know a bit about them."

"Well." Mr. Weasley exclaimed, slapping Harry on the back, leaving a large black handprint on his shirt. "Thank you for your help. Maybe we could look at it again after dinner…"

"Arthur!" Molly admonished, "You can't get him to work on your car for you."

"It's alright, I'd be happy to take another look at it."

Mr. Weasley smiled, "Thank you Harry. That would help me out quiet a bit. After dinner then?"

"Yeah sure. If Ginny's alright with it of course."

Mr. Weasley laughed before kissing his wife tenderly on the cheek.

"Well, let's have dinner shall we? I'm a bit hungry from all this work."

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes as her husband walked out of the garage towards the house.

"Thank you for your help dear." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at him, "He would have been out here for days tinkering with this before giving up and bringing it to a dealer."

Harry laughed, "No problem. It's the least I can do." He said, a slightly guilty look on his face.

Mrs. Weasley immediately knew what he was thinking and pulled the young man into a hug.

"It's in the past." She whispered before pulling back.

Harry smiled at her for her kindness, before taking a step back. "I suppose I should get cleaned up." He said, raising his dirty hands.

"Oh of course. Right this way." The woman said, leading the raven haired teen back into the house.

--

"I didn't know you knew how to fix cars." Ginny commented, passing a bowl of mashed potatoes to her father.

"Well I don't know all that much, but I know enough. I've been fixing my own for years."

"Wicked, you can help me with my car." Ron said, grinning at the brilliant idea he'd come up with.

"Ron." Mrs. Weasley said warningly.

"What? My truck's a piece of crap. I could use his help."

"Sure just pick a day and I could come over to help."

"Really?" Ron asked, excited.

"Yeah, what's wrong with your car?"

"Ah the brakes don't work very well. I haven't got the money to bring it in so I've been reading up on how to fix them but it's not going too well."

Ginny snorted, "Yeah, he only got past the first two chapters then gave up."

Ron's ears turned red, "Hey, I tried…"

"A noble effort Ron." Fred said, while George laughed beside him.

The rest of Ron's face turned bright red, nearly matching his hair.

"Alright, alright. Enough all of you." Mrs. Weasley said to her children, ending any upcoming trouble.

"Think you could come over tomorrow and help me?" Ron asked, shoving a roll into his mouth before tearing off a rather large piece.

"Err, I can't tomorrow, have to work… I could Sunday."

"Brilliant." Ron said, digging into his food heartily, happy he had solved his car trouble.

The conversation at the table turned in a number of different directions until it landed on a subject Harry was rather curious about.

"Ron, did you hear back from any of the other universities yet?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Err no. Not since hearing back from Goldsmith."

Mr. Weasley nodded, his face pulled into a frown.

"Who did you all apply to again?"

Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, "Well, I applied to Goldsmith, Kent and Birkbeck."

"Ah yes, I forgot about Kent." Mr. Weasley said, nodding in approval.

"Well, at least you've got one college to accept you." George commented, "You're future isn't completely doomed."

"Yeah, Goldsmith's not too bad of a school. Close to home, nice campus and dorms."

"How would you know that?" Ron asked.

Fred smiled, "We know a couple of ladies over there."

"But Ron, if you went to Goldsmith, you'd be a good hour away from Hermione's school." George commented, laughing at the embarrassed look on his brother's face.

"I do not like her!"

"You've been denying it for years now Ron. Just accept it already."

"Yeah, it's getting pretty old."

"Hey! You should ask her out before she goes to school this fall. That way, you've her bagged before any of her college classmates can snag her from you."

"Yeah, I'm sure she got into a pretty good school, a smart school. She's pretty bright. Once she get's there, your chances are pretty slim…"

"Shut up." Ron exclaimed, glaring at his brothers.

"What college did Hermione get into Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"She actually got into Cambridge."

"Whoa, really?" Fred asked.

"Smart girl that one." George added.

"Have you applied to any colleges for the fall Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked, merely curious.

"Me?" Harry asked, taken aback. At Mr. Weasley's nod he shook his head, "Ah no, I haven't."

"Why not?" Ron asked.

"I just…" Harry shrugged, "I don't know." A frown appeared on his face, "I've never given it much thought, if any at all. I never had anyone ever mention college to me in the past as something _I _could do. I just never saw it as a possibility."

"Well, it's one now isn't it? You could go if you wanted to, I know you're smart enough." Ginny said, smiling at him. Her eyes lit up as an idea struck her. "Hey, you could go to Bristol, that's where I plan on going."

Harry's eyes grew wide, "You've already been accepted? You're only a junior."

"Nearly a senior." She corrected him, "And no, I haven't been accepted yet but I'll apply there in the fall. It's where I plan to go."

"With her grades and extra curriculars, she's sure to get in." Mr. Weasley added, smiling proudly at his daughter.

"And you plan to go to Goldsmith?" Harry asked Ron.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's the only one who's accepted me so far. And even if others did, well… It's only about forty minutes away and it's a fairly big school. I wouldn't mind going there at all."

"Huh."

"What would you want to major in, if you did go to college?" Mr. Weasley asked Harry.

"I really don't know. I'd maybe get a degree in business, or something to do with architecture. Doing what, I have no idea."

"Good solid choices. Business would be an exceptionally good choice, it's always booming." The elder Weasley said.

They sat talking about colleges for the rest of dinner, then Harry went outside briefly to help Mr. Weasley with his car. A good two hours later he came back inside, cleaned himself off and saw Ginny swinging on the tire swing outside.

"Hey." He said, coming up to stand beside her. She looked up at him and smiled, a spark in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Hey. How'd it go with Dad?"

Harry beamed, "Great! Figured out what was wrong. Your Dad just needs to go out and buy a new part."

"Glad you and my Dad are bonding." Ginny said, a teasing grin on her face.

Harry just smiled, "Your Dad's great. It was fun."

Harry sat down on the cool grass, leaning back until he lied fully on the ground. A sigh escaped his lips and he shifted around a little, trying to get a bit more comfortable. He closed his eyes and relaxed. He could fall asleep out here.

He didn't know how long after he had closed his eyes he felt someone lay down beside him. Peeking open an eye, he saw Ginny lying down next to him on her side, her head propped up by her arm.

He closed his eyes once again as he felt himself drift off.

"Do you really think you might go to college?"

Harry opened his eyes to stare at Ginny's imploring brown ones.

"I might. It's something to definitely consider. I mean, what else will I do with my life? Work at Blockbusters?" Harry chuckled lightly, resting his hands behind his head as a pillow. "I always just thought I'd have money, because of what I did. I never thought long term though, what I'd do in the future. I figured I'd still be doing that. But now…" He trailed off before turning onto his side, facing Ginny. "Now it seems like something I could do. Should do really."

"Where do you think you'd go? Bristol?" Ginny asked brightly, trailing her hand up and down his forearm.

Harry shook his head, "No, I don't exactly think I'm smart enough for a school you'd get into Ginny." As she opened her mouth to object, he continued, "I mean, look at the facts. I dropped out of school when I was ten and only have my GED. I imagine it's a pretty good school and I highly doubt I'd be accepted. I don't have a lot to offer, just my job."

"Harry, I wholeheartedly believe that you could get into any school you want to. Warwick, Stirling, Manchester."

"No none of those."

"Why not?"

"Well because, I'd have to be close to you." He stated obviously, turning to look at her startled expression. He took that as a bad sign. "Unless, you know, when you go to college… I mean, there'll be plenty of blokes there-"

He was cut of with Ginny's lips kissing him hard.

"What was that for?" Harry breathed when she let him go. She had a bright, tender smile on her face.

"You'd want to go to a university by me?"

"Well of course." Harry said, sitting up. "Why wouldn't I? You're my girlfriend after all. I wouldn't want to be a long ways from you. Seeing each other only on the weekends," Harry shook his head, "That's not enough."

Ginny laughed lightly, so lightly he nearly didn't hear it. She sat up also, grabbing his hands and interlocking them with hers.

"I love you Harry."

The raven haired teen stared at her in shock, his green eyes staring into her brown orbs. He wasn't expecting that.

She blush prettily before looking away, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry."

"N-No, don't be." Harry said, a dumbfounded look on his face.

She looked back at him and sighed, "You don't have to say it back. I want you to on your own time, not just because I said it. I know we've only been going out for two months but… I do love you."

Harry stared at her, a flabbergasted expression on his face. _She loved him?_

"I, well, I-" He trailed off, not really knowing where to begin. "Ginny…"

"Harry it's ok-" She said, smiling at him but he cut her off.

"No, I- I really care about you Ginny." He began, licking his suddenly dry lips, "I've never loved anyone before. Not even in a platonic way. Or loved any family. So it would be a bit hard for me to tell you that now. I've just started opening up since meeting you and I still don't think that's enough time yet." He paused to look at her, "Am I making any sense?"

Ginny smiled, placing a hand against his cheek, "Yeah, I get it."

"But I do care about you." He said strongly, gazing deeply into her chocolate eyes. "You're the best things that's ever happened to me. You've helped me so much, I can't even begin to imagine where I'd be right now if it weren't for you. Worse off, that's for sure."

Ginny smiled lovingly at him, before pressing her lips to his.

"Me too Harry. Me too."

Harry kissed her soundly, trying to put everything he felt into the kiss. He pulled back a few minutes later however, a sudden idea coming to him.

"I'll be right back."

Ginny watched curiously as Harry jumped up, running down to his car. He shuffled around in the back for a few minutes before pulling something out. He hid it behind his back as he came running back up to Ginny, sitting down once again beside her.

"Here." He said, placing a small weight in Ginny's hands.

She looked down to see a long and narrow box, wrapped in bright red paper.

"What's this?" She asked confused, looking back up at him with inquiring eyes.

Harry smiled sheepishly, shrugging one of his shoulders. "Well, it's part of your birthday present. I know I'm days early and I was going to wait, but, I don't know. Now feels like the right time to give it to you."

Ginny smiled back before opening the small present. She removed the red wrapping paper to reveal a black, velvet box. Opening the box, she peered inside to see a beautiful, familiar silver necklace resting against the black background.

As Ginny stared speechless at the jewelry, Harry spoke.

"It's the one you were looking at when we went to the mall. You were staring at it so intently, I figured I'd get it for you. Seemed like you wanted it."

"Harry," Ginny finally breath, looking up at the raven haired boy, her face glowing. "I don't even know what to say. This must have cost you a fortune. I saw how expensive it was-"

"Don't worry about it. You're worth spending some money on." He looked on as Ginny continued to gaze at the necklace wordlessly. "Do you like it?"

She finally looked up, amazement still etched on her face.

"I love it. It's got to honestly be one of the best presents I've ever gotten. _The_ best actually."

After a long pause, Harry smiled at her fondly before taking the necklace out of the box.

"You want me to…?" Harry asked, gesturing to the necklace.

"Yes, please." Ginny said.

Harry lifted the necklace, clasping it around her neck. He trailed his fingers around the chain, coming down to the diamond heart as it rested against her chest.

"How's it look?"

Harry smiled at her, his heart filled with warmth.

"Beautiful."

Ginny smiled widely at him, wrapping her arms around his neck before kissing him deeply. Harry leaned back down against the grass, resting contently, Ginny wrapped tightly in his arms.

A few hours later Harry finally arrived home. He kicked off his shoes, throwing his keys onto the nearby table. He looked around at his empty surrounds, running a tired hand through his hair. Darkness filled the house, making it nearly impossibly to see. He walked down the hall towards his room, pausing at his best friend's and sighed, leaning against the doorway. Everything was in exactly the same place as it had been this morning. Still no sign of Draco.

--

**A/N:** An update!


	28. Bonding

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Bonding **

Harry slammed his car door shut, jogging up to the front of the house. He knocked loudly, sticking his hands into his khaki shorts and turned to lean against the railing, waiting for someone to open the door. A few minutes later, he knocked again, but heard no answer. He reached down to the door knob, shaking it lightly to find it unlocked. He pushed the door slightly and poked his head inside, scanning the dark interior.

"Hello?" Harry asked, hearing his voice echo throughout the silent house. Frowning, he shut the door and checked his watch. It was twelve thirty, Ron said he'd be home. He knocked once more, knuckles wrapping sharply against the wood, trying to gain anyone's attention. He pressed his ear to the door, listening for any sounds from within, but heard nothing.

Harry shrugged before turning around to head back to his car. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the numbers until he found Ginny's. It rang for several seconds until a soprano voice answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ginny, it's Harry." He looked up at the house, not seeing any lights on, "Are you home?"

"Err, no, I'm at Hermione's house, remember? I could have sworn I told you yesterday."

Harry nodded, the conversation suddenly coming to him, "Yeah, yeah you did. Sorry. It's just, Ron told me to be here at twelve thirty and it's," He checked his watch quickly again, "Now twelve forty two. No one's home."

"He should be there." Ginny said, and he could hear the confusion in her voice, "Did you knock loud enough? Maybe the git's still sleeping." As she said this, he heard someone laugh in the background. Must have been Hermione.

"Yeah I did, I even opened the door and yelled for him but no one answered."

"Huh, I'm sorry Harry, I don't know where he is. I know Mum went out to shop today and the twins are with her. Dad's at work and Ron should be home."

Harry opened his car door to get in but paused as he suddenly heard faint music playing from the direction of the house.

"Uh, Ginny? Hang on a second."

He walked hesitantly up to the house, following the noise to the garage. He opened the side door and was hit with a blast of music as he did so. He stepped inside the cool building, and saw a redheaded teen walking around the garage, picking up tools here and there while a truck sat with it's front end up on jacks in the middle of the spacious room. Harry watched as the redhead walked around the room, bobbing his head to the beat of the blaring music.

Harry stepped back outside and shut the door to muffle the noise.

"Alright, I found him. Sorry for bothering you."

"No problem, I'll talk to you later ok?"

"Alright, talk to you later, bye."

"Bye."

He snapped his phone shut before heading into the garage once again. Harry walked up to the redhead, standing directly behind him.

"Hey Ron." Harry said loudly, trying to gain the teen's attention.

"Ron." He said a little louder. But nothing came of it. Hs friend merely stood with his back to him, fiddling with something on the counter.

"RON!" He yelled, causing the redhead to swirl around, hammer in hand.

"Whoa!" Harry exclaimed, jumping backwards quickly to avoid getting hit.

The shocked look quickly disappeared from Ron's face as he smiled sheepishly at Harry. He walked over to the radio before turning it down to a faint drum.

"Hey Harry, sorry about that." He said, gesturing to the hammer. "Didn't hear you sneak up behind me."

"Clearly." Harry joked.

"So, you ready for this?" The blue eyed boy said, pointing to the car.

"Yeah," Harry said, walking over to it. "Now what's wrong with it? The brakes?"

"Yeah, I've got the parts right here." Ron said, pointing to an open box to his right.

"Ok, you sure this things up securely?" Harry asked, looking warily at the truck.

"Yeah it's fine, I was under there for a bit and nothing happened to me." He said, holding his arms out, his body in full view.

"Alright." Harry said, turning around to pick up a few tools. "Let's get to work shall we? It should only take about a half and hour if you have all the tools."

"I think I do. I read what we needed from a book and went to get all the stuff."

"Well we'll see then." Harry said, before getting down on his back and shuffling up underneath the truck.

Harry worked for a few minutes as they both listened to the music around them that Ron had turned back up, just not nearly as loud as before.

"Hey, could you maybe come down here and hold the flashlight at where I'm working? That would make things ten times easier."

"Yeah, sure." Ron said, hurriedly grabbing the flashlight and pulling the tool box over to them. He got down on his stomach at the side on the truck where there was more room for him. He pulled himself under a ways and rested his head against his arm as he used the other to aim the flashlight.

"So, where'd you learn to work on cars?"

"Oh, well. The guy I stayed with after leaving my relatives… You know about all that right?"

Ron nodded behind him and Harry could tell he had by the motion of the flashlight.

"Well, the guy, Max, owned a bar that I lived at. I heard a lot of their conversations at night and they talked about cars a lot. I guess I just remembered it. Then I finally got a car when I was fifteen, and when I ran into trouble I didn't have the money to bring it somewhere to be fix, so I just remembered what they told me or had said in conversations and fixed it by myself. A lot of trial and error was involved too."

"Yeah, I'm sure. I can't fix a thing with this car." Ron thought for a moment, "Well, that's not entirely true. I changed the wheels, installed a new radio, replaced the headlights, and changed the oil and stuff. But nothing this complicated."

"Ah it's not too hard to do. You just have to watch someone else do it, or talk about it and then retain the information."

Ron nodded, "Yeah that makes sense." He was quiet for a full minute before speaking again.

"Think you could talk me through it?"

Harry laughed, "Yeah, you see this part right here…"

--

"Done." Harry said, slapping his hands together, specks of caked on mud flying from his fingers.

"Excellent, thanks for all the help Harry." Ron said, crawling out from under the newly lowered truck.

"Don't mention it. It was kind of fun, been a while since I fixed a car. I like doing it."

Ron nodded in agreement before grabbing two small towels and threw one to Harry.

"You hungry? Want to go inside and grab something to eat and drink?" He said, wiping off his hands.

"Yeah sure. I could go for your mum's food right now. I haven't had anything but fast food and cold sandwiches since last Friday."

"Can't cook?"

"No, I'm actually pretty good at it, I think, just haven't had a lot of time on my hands."

"Because of your job?" Ron questioned as he lead Harry back to the house.

"Yeah and hanging out with Ginny." Harry added, sitting down at the kitchen table as Ron ran into the back room, heating up leftover meatloaf and some bread. He went back in for another load, this time bringing out the milk and some glasses.

"There, nothing like fast food and not a cold sandwich."

"Thanks a ton." Harry mumbled, stabbing a piece of meatloaf with his fork before plopping it into his mouth. "Mmm, that's good."

"Yeah, she makes awesome meatloaf."

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Ron spoke up, "So how's that going by the way?"

"What?"

"You and my sister."

"Oh," Harry said, slowly setting down his fork, "It's good… great actually. We're getting along better than we ever have."

"Good." Ron said, taking a bit of bread, "Because, I don't really mind you dating her. You seem to be making her happy."

"Well that's good I guess…"

"Not that you need my permission or anything but, I don't know, I'm just glad you're making her happy."

"Thanks."

Ron picked up his glass of milk and brought it to his lips, chugging a large amount before setting it back onto the table, the glass now half empty. He whipped off the milk from his mouth, grabbing his fork once again.

"Alright well, now that the car's done, what do you want to do?"

"Oh, I don't really care."

"Do you have to be anywhere?" Ron asked, munching on another piece of bread.

Harry shook his head, "Nope."

"Well cool, you maybe want to go to a movie then? Wolverine is playing at the theater nearby. I've been dying to see that."

Harry's eyes lit up, "Sure, this one looks like it's going to be brilliant. And I thought Wolverine was really the only interesting character in the series."

"Yeah same here. Rogue was kinda cool at first but they went no where with her."

"I know, the first movie was good, second was ok I guess, and the third one was just awful from what I remember."

"I agree. So, you want to go?"

"Yeah."

Ron ran upstairs quickly to change his clothes, which he had gotten quite dirty, before they made their way to the movie theater in Ron's newly fixed truck.

--

A few hours later they pulled into the garage, the sun just beginning to set.

"That was awesome." Ron replied, jumping out of the car.

"Yeah, Wolverine is totally my favorite character."

"Did you see how buff he was? Man…" Ron said, before trailing off at the look on Harry's face. He cleared his throat, "I just meant he had a lot of muscle to him."

Harry held up his hands, "Hey whatever floats your boat, I'm not one to judge."

Ron's ears tinted red, "No really, I just meant, he had to of worked out a ton to get that."

"Alright." Harry said, walking with him back to the house.

"That's all I meant."

"Ok, I believe you."

Ron gave him a calculating look before he turned back around, satisfied Harry believed him.

"Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, upon them entering the dining room. She was just setting food on the table. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Ah, no thanks Mrs. Weasley. I'd love to but I actually have to be getting back."

"Oh alright. But wait just a moment. Ron keep him occupied until I get back."

"Will do." Ron said, turning to Harry. "So what will keep you occupied?"

"I don't know, we could talk about your crush on Hugh Jackman."

Ron's face turned beat red, "I do not have a crush on him, he's a bloke!"

"Now Ron, it's _ok_ to like the same sex. I really don't mind. Just as long as you don't hit on me."

"Harry…" Ron said warningly.

"Really, it's good that you came out of the closet. I'm really proud of you mate." He said, wiping a pretend tear out of his eye.

"He's a guy!"

Harry shrugged, "Alright, so you don't fancy him. You've just got a little man crush. It's ok."

"Potter stop insinuating I'm gay, because I'm not!"

"Well how do I know that? All I ever hear is that you don't like this Hermione chick. And rather vehemently too. So if you don't like her, and no other girl tickles your fancy, then…" Harry left the implication hanging.

At the mention of Hermione, Ron's face once again flamed up and he look looked quickly away, scratching the back of his head.

"Ah," Harry said, a sly smile on his face, "So you _do_ like Hermione."

"No…"

"Well which is it Ron? Hugh or Hermione?"

He struggled for a moment, "Neither."

"That's not what I asked mate. Which is it?" At Ron's silence he continued, "Alright so I'll just tell Fred and George." Ron's eyes went big.

"Don't you dare! They'll really think I am!"

"Well you're not saying no to Hugh."

"I did say no to Hugh."

Harry smiled, "Good, then you choose Hermione?"

Ron stuttered for a moment, "Look, if I _had_ to chose… I _suppose_ it would be… Hermione." He said quietly, looking around to see if any of his brothers had heard.

Harry grinned, "That's all I wanted to hear mate. The first step is admitting it."

"What's the next step?" Ron asked curiously.

"Asking her out, she's over here a lot isn't she?"

"Err, well, yeah. But I don't like her." He added quickly.

He slapped Ron on the back, "Your secret's safe with me Ron but what the twins said the other night is true. You're going to let her slip away and never get a chance if you wait too long. Then possibly spend the rest of your life regretting it and wondering what could have been. If you never take the risk, you'll never even get a chance of reaping the rewards. You've got to tell her before she goes to college. If not by then, she'll have a whole sea full of fish to choose from."

Ron looked away from the raven haired teen but Harry saw a contemplating look on his face. He was thinking about it.

"Here you are Harry, something to eat at home then." Mrs. Weasley said, coming out of the kitchen, handing Harry a container full of the stew she had made.

"Oh, thanks Mrs. Weasley." He said looking up, smiling at the woman. "Thanks a lot."

She waved him off, "It's no trouble dear. You drive safely home."

"You sure you can't stick around Harry? We're having some of Molly's famous pie tonight." Mr. Weasley added walking through the door into the kitchen. He held a briefcase in one hand, the other trying to loosen the tie around his neck.

Harry shook his head, "I wish I could but I've got to get to work early tomorrow morning, so I need to get to bed relatively early tonight. I'm sorry."

"It's ok dear, another time then." Mrs. Weasley patted him on the back before bustling back into the kitchen.

"Alright, I should get going." He said hopping up from his chair.

"Ok, thanks again for the help Harry."

"No problem, thanks for the movie."

"Yeah, no problem." The redhead replied. "See you later."

"See you." He waved goodbye to the group before taking the container of soup and walking out the front door.

--

Harry struggled to get the door open as he juggled the container of stew and a few bags of groceries he had picked up from the store. Finally putting the key into the lock, he kicked the door open and tumbled inside. He quickly put the bags on the floor, reaching out to catch the container of stew before it crashed to the floor and he spent the rest of the night cleaning; which is something he did not want to do. It was late, and all he felt like doing was opening a coke, sitting in his chair and watching some TV. He leaned against the table, in the process of pulling off his shoes when the lights flickered on in the living room.

"Bloody hell!" He exclaimed loudly, staring at Draco who was leaning against the wall in the hallway, next to the light switch.

"Nice welcoming." The blonde said sarcastically.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked bewildered. He hadn't seen Draco in days.

Draco shrugged before plopping down on the couch. "It's still my place isn't it? That girl hasn't moved in and taken my spot has she?"

"No, _Ginny_ hasn't moved in. I just haven't seen you in a while, where have you been?"

"Out, here and there." He said shrugging, resting his feet on the coffee table.

"That's descriptive." Harry muttered, before going to the mini fridge. "You want a coke?"

"A beer would be good." His friend said and Harry rolled his eyes at this. Of course he'd want a beer.

Harry threw him a beer before pulling out a coke for himself.

"A coke?" Draco asked, looking at him questioningly.

"Yeah, what about it?" Harry asked at Draco's judgmental look.

The blonde snorted, twisting off the cap to his beer and taking a long swig from his drink.

"What's wrong with a coke?"

"Nothing." Draco replied casually, leaning his chair back.

Harry shrugged and sat down. His friend was acting rather odd and distant. But this _was_ Draco, and after the row they had at the Weasley's, he expected nothing less than a pouting behavior.

"So you busy tonight?" Draco asked, flipping on the TV.

"No, just thought I'd watch some TV tonight, that's all."

"Good cause we're going out." Draco said, chugging the rest of his beer before throwing it down on the floor.

"Nice Draco, come on man. Don't be a slob."

Draco sighed heavily before picking it up, "That something _Ginny_ taught you?"

Harry growled, "No, that's something I've never tolerated before."

Draco ignored him and went to throw the can in the trash. He came back in, looking at Harry expectantly.

"Come on let's go."

"Go where?"

Draco smirked, "It's a surprise."

Harry groaned, "No, I'm not going to some club or going out to get piss drunk Draco. I've got a girlfriend now and have to go to work tomorrow."

Draco scoffed, "I'll ignore the fact you're totally whipped and tell you that it isn't some club. But it _is_ a surprise. Let's go." He said again, throwing on his jacket before grabbing a duffle bag.

"What's the bag for?" Harry asked, gesturing to the one Draco carried.

"You'll find out. Now let's go."

"Draco-"

"Look, we've been in a weird whatever for the past week and I'd like to put it behind us. It's time to bond." He said jokingly, staring at his raven haired friend, "You coming or not?"

Harry ran a tired hand through his hair as he stared at Draco. If he wanted to make amends, and whatever they were going to do involved that, Harry suppose he should go.

"Alright, give me five minutes."

"Brilliant." Draco said, grinning widely at him.

They eventually got out of the flat and into the car, driving for a good thirty minutes.

"Draco, where the hell are we going?" Harry asked, looking outside the window. They were in the middle of a residential area, nothing but houses surrounding them. It was completely dark out now, the sun having gone down long ago.

"Just be patient."

"Where are we going at twelve o'clock at night in this area?" Harry persisted, a twinge of irritation hitting him. He hated not being in the loop.

Draco merely smirked, looking over to his friend with a sly expression.

"_Draco_."

"Just wait, we're nearly there."

Not having any clue what they were doing in the middle of no where, Harry sat quiet in the passenger seat.

"Here we are." Draco exclaimed, pulling up along the curb. They were still in the residential area, hiding underneath a low tree that's branch nearly touch the roof of the car. Harry looked to see what was going on around them, thinking maybe it was a party Draco had brought him to, but he had no idea. The place was completely deserted.

"Who's house is this and what are we doing here?" Harry asked, the confusion in his voice unmistakable.

"It's some rich dentist's house." Draco explained as he turned to Harry, a gleeful look on his face, "I've scouted the place out the last few days and no one's here. I'm sure this time."

Harry paused at Draco's words, staring blankly at his friend.

"What are you talking about?" He asked hesitantly.

Draco simply grinned, "Here, put this on." He said, pulling a very familiar black ski mask out of the bag.

Sudden realization dawn on him.

"No, no, no." Harry began, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What? Come on Harry, let's go. Trust me," He chuckled slightly, "These people are totally loaded. They won't miss a few hundred dollars worth of stuff. They'll just go buy it again."

"What the _fuck_ Draco." Harry snarled, "I told you I don't want any part in this anymore!"

Draco rolled his eyes, "That was your ball and chain talking. I know you Harry, and if I just brought you out here, I know you'd want to do it. Look, it's perfect. No one's home. I checked the garage for any cars and there are none. No lights on, no noise in the house."

"No." Harry said in a tone of finality, throwing the mask back in the bag, "Move over we're going home."

"What?" Draco asked, startled. "No way, it's my car."

"Move the fuck out of the seat Draco, I told you I want no part in this."

"Come on, you used to love this-"

"Key word, _used_ to Draco. I don't anymore. And that's not my bloody 'ball and chain' talking. This is coming from _me_. You tricked me to come out here under the pretense of bonding-"

"This is bonding," Draco laughed, interrupting Harry, "We'll bond over margaritas when this cash in pays for out trip to Mexico, my treat."

Emerald eyes flashed with anger, sending a piercing glare at the blonde beside him, "This isn't some damn game Draco. Grow up. I am not going to jail again…"

Stormy blue eyes rolled at the comment, "I told you, it's totally fine-"

"_NO_." Harry yelled, clenching his hands into fists, barely restraining his anger. He breathed heavily as he stared down his friend, who had suddenly gone quiet. Who he had _thought_ was his friend. Draco had clearly changed. Harry briefly wondered if Draco had always been like this but Harry never noticed because he was once like Draco too. "I can't believe this. I'm not going in there Draco, whether you like it or not. I'm done with this. End of discussion."

Draco looked at him incredulously, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah I am." Harry said, staring straight out the window in front of him, not sparing his friend another glance. A few long minutes passed before Harry clamed down, uncrossing his arms. But he still continued to stare out the window in front of him.

"Don't do this Draco."

The arrogant teen scoffed before shaking his head, "Well _I'm_ going in. If you change your mind, the back door will be unlocked."

Draco paused for a brief moment, waiting for, but receiving no response from his best friend. He watched as Harry continued to stare intently out the window, refusing to look at him. He shook his head before quietly shutting the door, creeping up the front lawn to the back of the house.

Harry watched incredulity as his friend snuck around the back of the house and out of sight. He couldn't _believe_ Draco was really going to do this. Anger filled Harry to the brim as he hit the dashboard with his fist. What the hell was Draco's problem? He couldn't _believe_ Draco would pull something like this. The Draco he knew would have never gone this far. He'd made it very clear in the past that he no longer wanted this life, yet once again, Draco completely disregarded him.

He ran a hand through his hair roughly, blowing out a heavy breath. He leaned back against the seat, shaking his leg impatiently as he waited for Draco. Maybe… Maybe hanging out with Draco wasn't such a good idea anymore, not when he was acting like this. Maybe Harry needed to find a new place. He couldn't be linked to this crap anymore. It wasn't right.

Harry stared at the clock as the minutes past agonizingly slow. Five minutes. Eight minutes. Ten minutes. Harry was staring so hard at the clock, he couldn't hear a thing around him as the time flew by. But one familiar sound broke through his enraged haze to his mind.

Sirens.

His head shot up as he looked around him, searching for the recognizable blue and red flashing lights. The sounds got closer and closer with each passing second as Harry panicked slightly for the first time in a _long_, long time. Jumping out of the car as if it were on fire, Harry flew up to the house, his anger at Draco disappearing with each step he took. He skidded around the corner of the building, righting himself as he jumped over a small fence in the back. Dashing up the deck stairs, Harry tore the door open. He squinted in the darkness, barely making out his surroundings. He was in the kitchen, a table to his left and the stove and counters to his right. He could vaguely make out some paintings on the walls. Beyond the kitchen area was an open room, the living room, he suspected, judging from the couch pushed up against the window.

Harry snapped back to focus, as the sirens grew louder. He had to get Draco out of here and drive at least a few blocks away, then they'd be safe.

Moving as quietly as he could, Harry rushed up the stairs, glancing in the rooms for any sign of Draco. Cursing to himself, Harry raced back down the stairs and headed to the basement.

There he found his friend digging through some dresser drawers, working from the bottom up.

"Draco." Harry hissed, running up to his friend.

Draco turned around surprised but a grin plastered on his face, "I knew you'd come."

"Shut up, we have to go. They cops are coming."

Alarmed, Draco quickly abandoned the dresser before following Harry back up the stares.

"Oh, wait a second, I have to grab something." Draco said quietly to Harry, running up the stairs and into one of the rooms.

Harry quickly followed him, dashing up the stairs three at a time. He found Draco in a small office area, bookshelves lining the walls.

"Draco, hurry up. We've got to go _now_." He hissed, glancing out the window. Harry cursed as he saw the cops pull up alongside Draco's silver Porsche, jumping out of the cars before heading up to the building.

"Draco, _now_." He exclaimed, grabbing his friend's arm and tugging him towards the door.

Suddenly, the light flickered on in the room. Harry raised his hand, momentarily blinded by the sudden light as he strain to see around him. As he lowered his hand, he looked around the room wildly, trying to see who had caught them. As his eyes locked on the figure, his heart went cold.

"Ginny?"

--


	29. Partings

_Harry quickly followed him, dashing up the stairs three at a time. He found Draco in a small office area, bookshelves lining the walls._

_"Draco, hurry up. We've got to go now." He hissed, glancing out the window. Harry cursed as he saw the cops pull up alongside Draco's silver Porsche, jumping out of the cars before heading up to the building._

_"Draco, now." He exclaimed, grabbing his friend's arm as he tugged him towards the door._

_Suddenly, the light flickered on in the room. Harry raised his hand, momentarily blinded by the sudden light as he strain to see around him. As he lowered his hand he looked around the room wildly, trying to see who had caught them. As his eyes locked on the figure, his heart went cold._

_"Ginny?"_

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Partings**

Green eyes locked with brown in an all too familiar situation. Ginny stood frozen in front of him, eyes wide with stunned disbelief.

Harry didn't even registered her brown haired friend behind her, the same girl he'd been joking to Ron about only hours ago. He didn't hear the door banging open below, didn't feel Draco pulling urgently at his arm. All he saw was the confused and deeply hurt eyes of the girl in front of him.

Cops ran up the stairs as Draco wiped off his mask, stuffing it in his bag.

"Hands in the air!" An officer yelled at them, pointing a gun towards Harry and Draco. Draco immediately help up his hands, cursing Harry for being so stupid. They had had enough time to run, why didn't he move?

Harry didn't hear the officer, he merely continued to stare at Ginny, mouth hanging slightly open. He was frozen, both his body and mind.

"I said hands up!" The officer yelled, coming at the teen before pushing him up against one of the bookshelves, pulling his hands behind his back. The feeling of his face being smashed against the books woke Harry from his dazed state. What the hell was happening?

He felt the cool steel of the metal cuffs clasp his hands together tightly as the office yanked him backwards with a firm grip, ready to lead him out the door.

Harry looked up to see Ginny still gaping at him. Harry opened his mouth to speak. He had to tell her, say something. Explain that it wasn't want it looked like. He wasn't here to steal, he had really changed. She had changed him. But his voice wasn't working.

"Wait." Ginny said to the officer as he began roughly pushing the two teens out the door. Harry's heart leapt at her voice, while her friend beside her stared at her in utter shock, wondering what she was doing. "There's been some sort of misunderstanding."

"What?" One of the officers questioned gruffly, swirling around to face the redhead.

"They're our friends." Ginny replied, tearing her eyes away from Harry, not able to look at him any longer.

"Then why'd you call us?"

Ginny looked away, trying to seem embarrassed, "We thought, we thought someone was really breaking in. We didn't know it was them." She gave the officer a convincing smile, "They must have been playing a prank on us."

Draco, seeing where Ginny was going with this, quickly spoke up. "Yeah, sorry we scared you guys so much. We really didn't mean to. We just thought it'd be funny."

Harry remained silent, trying to gaining Ginny's attention. She refused to look at him.

"Is this true?" The officer asked Hermione, who still stood behind Ginny, the shock having not left her face. Or maybe it had come back after hearing what Ginny was saying.

With a look from her friend that the officer didn't catch, she nodded slowly.

The officer shook his head, before pulling out his walkie talkie.

"This is officer Adams. The break in on Langley road is a false alarm. I repeat, it was a false alarm."

He then pulled out the keys to the cuffs before unlocking Harry, while the other officer unlocked Draco.

Harry stumbled slightly at the release as Draco came to stand beside him.

The officer gave them a fierce glare, "You shouldn't play pranks this sever on people. You scared the hell out of these two girls. I better not ever hear about anything like this again."

Draco nodded, "Of course Officer." He said solemnly.

He threw them one last glare before heading out the door, gesturing for his partner to follow.

They all stood still in the small library, listening as the cops below slowly left the house and returned back to their vehicles. The sounds of the cars' engines slowly drifted away, the cops with them.

Still nobody moved, as a thick silence settled down upon them.

"Ginny." Harry began, a desperate expression on his face, "I-"

"Get out." Came a cold voice from within her. Harry reeled back. That wasn't the voice of the Ginny he knew.

"Ginny, please, just listen-"

"Get out." She whispered, not looking at him.

"Let's go mate." Draco said, placing his hand on Harry's arm, before the raven haired teen violently shook it off.

"Ginny, look at me, please." He begged, stepping in front of her, trying to gain her attention. She slowly turned to look at him, her expression blank, but Harry saw her eyes. They betrayed her, showing the hurt and betrayal that she was trying to carefully hide.

"Ginny, I swear, this isn't what it looks like…"

The painful emotions were quickly swiped from her eyes, replaced by a fierce anger.

"Really?" She said softly, as she tore the duffle bag from Draco's clutches before dumping it out on the floor.

"What's this look like, huh Harry? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE!"

"Ginny… Let me explain…"

"No," She yelled, her face finally matching her eyes, "You lied to me, I trusted you-"

"Ginny," He croaked, his eyes pleading with her, "Please."

"I trusted you! I loved you! How-how could you…" She trailed off before turning away, not wanting Harry to see her tears.

Harry looked on desperately as the redhead before him moved away, crushed, all because of him. If she's just let him explain…

"Ginny, I didn't come here to steal."

"There's a bag full of crap that says otherwise." She whispered, still not looking at him.

"Ginny, I swear, I came in to get Draco. I didn't do anything." He took a step forward, placing his hand gently on her arm.

As quick as lightning, she flinched away. She finally looked up at him with cold eyes.

"Get out." The icy tone in her voice unmistakable.

Harry shook his head, "No, don't-"

"Get out." She said louder, balling her hands into fists as tears slowly began streaming down her face.

His heart plummeted, "Ginny."

"GET OUT!" She yelled, a sob finally escaping her lips.

"Ginny I-"

"Get him the hell out of here before I call the cops back." Ginny said to Draco, still staring at Harry.

Draco stepped up to his friend, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"Come on, let's get out of here mate."

"No," He said, trying to shrug Draco off. He started to panic as Draco tried to lead him out the door. "Ginny, just, please. Listen to me, give me a chance to explain."

"I gave you a chance, my whole family did." She replied, giving him a withering glare.

"But Ginny… No-" He said, pushing Draco off of him. He stepped up to Ginny.

"Listen-"

SMACK!

Harry clutched his cheek, a red hand print slowly appearing on his skin.

"We're through."

"No, no don't say that. Ginny-"

"I hate you." She hissed, her eyes burning with fire.

Harry tensed, his heart plummeting at her words. She couldn't hate him, it wasn't his fault.

Ginny picked up her cell phone, holding it in her hand. "You have ten seconds."

Draco's eyes widened as he forcefully dragged Harry out of the room, somehow managing to pull him to the car.

They rode in silence the entire way back. Draco looked over worriedly at his friend from time to time, who stared out the window, a vacant expression on his face.

Draco pulled over to the side of the road, before hustling over to the other side of the car, trying to get Harry inside as fast as he could. His friend just needed a breather, and maybe a can or two of beer. He'd be fine.

"Come on mate, let's get you inside." He said, helping the lifeless Harry out of the car before leading him up the stairs to their flat. Once inside, he sat Harry down in his chair before going into the fridge and pulling out two beers. He cracked one open, placing it in his friend's hand as he cracked his own open, standing a few feet in front of him.

The room was silent for nearly ten minutes as Harry gazed transfixed at the carpet below him, while Draco looked on at his friend.

"Harry." Draco said, trying to gain his friend's attention. "Harry?"

He got no response from the teen in front of him.

Draco decided to leave him alone and went back to his room, flipping on the TV. He just needed some space.

Forty minutes later he came back out, figuring that was more than enough time. He was surprised to find Harry in the same exact position he had left him in, still as stone. His face was pale and his eyes glazed, the beer in his hand completely untouched.

Draco sighed, walking up to his friend. He took the beer from out of his hand, placing it gently on the table.

"Look, you're better off without her." He said rather unsympathetically, raising his can of beer to his lips.

Harry suddenly shot up, knocking the drink out of his hands before taking the blonde by complete surprise and punching him square in the face.

"What the _fuck_." Draco exclaimed, stumbling backwards into the TV, nearly knocking it over. "What the hell is your problem?"

"What's my problem? _What's my problem!?_" Harry yelled in amazement. "Thanks to you, my whole life is going down the drain. Everything I've built up with Ginny, gone in a second because of you!"

Draco scoffed, "Come on, there are plenty of fish in the sea, she wasn't doing you any good. You could do so much better, you've been with a hell of a lot of girls prettier than her. And besides, if she was your whole life, it's good that you cut her loose now and find a girl that'll let you really live, not weigh you down."

Rage fueled Harry as he dove at Draco, sending them crashing to the floor.

"You son of a bitch!" Harry bellowed, punching the teen once again in the face.

"Get off me!" Draco yelled, trying to defend himself. He rolled them both over, trying to get out from underneath Harry and his flying fists. He struggled to get up but finally pushed Harry away and staggered backwards.

Harry immediately jumped up, swinging his fist at Draco, connecting with his mouth.

Draco flew backwards by the force of the punch, tumbling to the floor. He stayed on the ground, touching the blood that was slowly dribbling out of his bottom lip. He looked up to a fuming Harry.

"Get up." Harry said, deathly calm. Draco had never seen him this angry before.

"Like hell I am." Draco replied.

"GET UP!" He roared, coming over to pull the blonde up. When he was up, Harry pulled his fist back before smashing it in Draco's face. The blonde hit the wall behind him, momentarily dazed before he ducked quickly, avoiding another hit from the crazed teen.

He avoided another punch, his foot crushing the can of beer on the floor, before getting angry himself. He wasn't feeling very sympathetic anymore. He'd done nothing wrong and Harry was going to act like this towards him? Not bloody likely.

Draco pushed Harry back before popping him in the face, blood immediately coming from his friend's nose. Harry faltered for a moment, stepping back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Draco exclaimed, keeping an eye on Harry. He was breathing heavily, bent over trying to catch his breath. "Look you're upset, whatever, but don't take it out on me."

"Why not?" Harry jeered, "It's all your damn fault."

Draco's eyes bugged out, "What!? How is it my fault? I didn't know they'd be there. It was an honest mistake."

"You mean to tell me that you randomly picked a house and they just 'happened' to be there!?"

"Yes." Draco replied truthfully. It was a weird coincidence, sure, but it was honestly just that. He thought for a second about laughing at the irony. Out of all the houses out there, they picked the one with the same two people again. But one look at his friend's face, and he decided otherwise.

"Bullshit. And if you do happen to be telling the truth, which would be a first, this wouldn't have bloody happened if you would have just stayed in the car and gone home! Or if you'd never have dragged me out there to begin with. You knew I wouldn't want to come but you fucking did it anyways!"

Draco threw up his hands, "It's not my fault that your girlfriend was there."

"It's your fault _I_ was there. I'd still be with her right now if it weren't for you!"

"Please," Draco laughed, "If anything I did you a favor."

Harry stared at him, gob smacked, "How the hell did you do me any favors?"

"You're better off without her. She was just dragging you down, making you forget who you really are. You were bloody whipped. She had you wrapped around her finger. Making you ditch your own best friend for her."

Harry clenched his fist, kicking the wall beside him as hard as he could. The plaster cracked, making a large indent where his foot had just been.

"My God Draco, stop acting like a damn two year old. You're acting like you fucking fancy me or something. She didn't make me do anything! It's your own fault you have a problem with me being a better person, I'm not going to stop just because you're upset. _Grow up_. She finally made me see that what I've been doing since I was ten was wrong. It's against the law to steal Draco. If Ginny hadn't of spoken up tonight and saved our arses, we'd both be in jail right now!"

"If you wouldn't have stood there like a damn idiot, we wouldn't have needed her help. And everything was perfectly fine before she came along. You act as if your life was so miserable. You had a nice place, money, girls… the perfect life."

"I wasn't happy."

"You seemed pretty happy to me getting laid nearly every night. And now look at you, so upset over a girl dumping you. The old you would have just rolled it off your shoulders. You've changed, just bloody admit it. And you're only changing because she wants you to, she wouldn't have taken you otherwise! She rejected you the second she found out who you really are. Then when you promised to change, to 'be a better person' she took you back. She molded you into her perfect little boyfriend." Draco ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "Don't you see what you are to her? You're her charity case of the year! No good girl in their right mind would go for a guy like you. Not for a relationship anyways. They'd have their fun with you for a while before tossing you to the side. You don't see that's all you are to her? She's changed you into a good, upstanding citizen." He prattled sarcastically, "Bottom line is, you're a fucking charity case!"

Harry had been ignoring Draco's words for the most part, but that part had stung.

"I was not her bloody charity case. What the hell is your problem with her? They were nothing but nice to you and you threw it back in their faces. And the fact of the matter is, she loved me before you went and screwed it up."

"She didn't love you, she loved what she made you. This is who you are." He said, spreading his arms wide open to the room, "You steal, you go to clubs, you love getting into flights with blokes and you hook up with a new hot girl every week."

"That's who I was Draco. Dammit why don't you listen? I CHANGED! My life was getting me no where Draco. What was I going to do, party my whole life? Steal and eventually get caught again and get sent to jail this time? Get into a brawl at the bar one night and get seriously hurt or even die, like the guy with the pipe who nearly pummeled you in the alley? Sorry for not wanting that life Draco, sounds like a dream." He said mockingly, "She made me see I could be a better person. That I could do more with my life. Be happy, have the life I would have normally had if my parents hadn't died. Not this crappy one of beer, girls, and drunken fights."

He paused for a moment before rounding on Draco once again, "What future do you have Draco? Are you going to be a thirty year old bum? Still stealing from people's houses? Getting laid every night by a different, random slut? Or are you going to get caught one of these times when I'm not there to save your sorry arse and wind up in prison? I'm trying to make something out of myself. I want a future. What do you want?"

The two teens stared at one another, neither backing down from the fight. Eventually though, the silence was broken by a disgusted Draco, who shook his head.

"I want a fun life, the life I was having before you went and got all soft on me. You know what?" Draco replied, "I'm done with this bullshit. I'm tired of being friends with a kill joy who only likes to please his demanding girlfriend, trying to be a goody-goody. Tired of being friends with a pansy. Call me when you grow back a pair _mate_." Draco said, as he grabbed his jacket, wallet and keys, walking out into the hall before slamming the door shut.

Harry stared at the closed door, his heartbeat slowly returning back to normal. If Draco wanted to leave, that was perfectly fine with him. He didn't need the drama queen any longer. He only did him more harm than good. Screw him.

Harry walked into his room, slamming the door shut. The force of the slam caused the door to rattle on it's hinges for several seconds as Harry made his way over to his bed. Flopping down onto the mattress, he buried his face into the pillow, gripping the blankets tightly. He just needed a good nights sleep and he'd talk to Ginny tomorrow. He was sure things would work out in the end. Ginny would listen to him, just like she had before.

Everything was going to turn out fine.

--

**A/N:** Wow, it's been a long while since I've updated. Sorry for the long wait guys. To make it up to you, I'll post another chapter shortly, within the hour. It's ridiculous how long I've dragged this story out for. I've just been trying to get a heard start on a few other stories I want to get posted. So, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Tell me what you think, and thanks for all the reviews!


	30. Hear Me Out

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Hear Me Out**

Harry sat in his car, across the street from the white Victorian house. He tapped his hands nervously against the steering wheel, staring up at the building. As he sat, he slowly built his courage, and, taking a deep breath, he got out of the car and slowly made his way to the door.

He knocked on the door softly, waiting anxiously for a reply. A few moments later, the door opened revealing Ron. He frowned as he saw Harry.

"Hey Ron, I-"

Ron quickly shushed him and looked over his shoulder before stepping outside, shutting the door quietly but firmly behind him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked bluntly, his voice hard but not necessarily mean.

Harry shifted, looking down at the ground beneath him.

"So you know what happened?" Harry replied to Ron's hard exterior.

He looked up to see Ron shrug, "I know something happened. Ginny hasn't stopped crying and moping, except when she passes out to sleep."

His stomach sunk at Ron's words.

"Look Ron, there was a misunderstanding-"

"You should really go Harry." Ron said with a tone that should not be messed with.

Harry looked at the redhead with pleading eyes. "Ron, you've got to let me see her. It was a misunderstanding. I need to talk to her to set things straight, show her it really wasn't what it looked like."

"Did you cheat on her?" He said roughly, staring the raven haired boy down.

Harry shook his head, "No, no. Nothing like that. But I know she feels like I've been lying to her but I haven't. Please Ron," He said, staring at the redhead, "I just need a moment with her. If she would just let me explain, everything would be fine."

Ron stared at the teen in front of him before sighing. He felt a bit bad for Harry, he looked just plain pathetic. But, despite the fact that they had started to become friends, Ginny was his sister. And he had hurt her.

"I'm sorry Harry, I can't." He saw the teen's shoulders slump, "I've never seen her like this before and I have to think of my sister first. I'm sorry but I hope you can understand."

Harry's heart clenched at his words, feeling despair slowly fill him. He turned away from the redhead and nodded. "I understand." He glanced back at him hesitantly, "Could you just… Could you tell her I'm sorry? That it wasn't what it looked like and if she would just let me talk to her, I'd explain and set things right?"

Ron nodded. He gave Harry a sympathetic smile before turning around and going back inside.

Harry stood outside the door as Ron left, before he leaned against the side railing, putting his face in his hands. Just yesterday he'd been happily in a relationship with a girl who loved him. And now… He sighed, rubbing his face before trekking back to his car. He didn't turn around to see a curtain in one of the upper windows move slightly, revealing an ashen faced teenage girl, tears sparkling in her brown eyes she watched him get back into his car and drive away.

--

Harry opened the door to his flat, throwing his keys routinely in the direction of the table. Slipping off his shoes, he turned around as he heard the keys not land on the glass table, but the floor below. He frowned, turning around to find that the table was no longer there. Confused, he looked up, shocked to find half the things missing in his apartment. A large empty spot filled the middle of the room where a pool table had sat for the past three years. He walked quickly over to the movie shelf, running through the movies to find a quarter of them missing. Games lay shuffled around on the floor and he noticed one game in particular that had been there this morning was no longer there. Mystified, the tall, dark haired teen surveyed the room, taking note in everything that was missing. A shelf that had previously sat against the back wall, the pool table, the mini fridge, numerous movies and games, with the most obvious object gone… Draco's couch.

Realization suddenly struck him and he quickly walked to Draco's room, his jaw dropping at the sight.

There was nothing in it. The room, just this morning, had held Draco's bed, TV, desk and computer. Posters of sports teams and favorite rock groups that had been hung on the wall, along with a few pictures, were gone, leaving nothing but tape in it's wake. Harry moved to the closet, yanking it open to find it completely empty also. He clenched his fist, seething. That jackass. After everything he'd done, he didn't even have the balls to come and get his stuff when Harry was there? He had to sneak in like a little rat when he was gone, taking his stuff and just disappearing? Harry kicked an empty trash can, sending it sailing across the room. The bastard just left? No note, no phone call?

_'Well fine, who needs the prick anyways?'_ Harry thought to himself, stomping out of the room to his, slamming the door shut behind him. He sat on his bed, running his hands through his hair. Draco was the whole reason he and Ginny were no longer together. If he hadn't tricked Harry to go with him, if Harry hadn't of been a decent friend and went to get him before the cops did… Ginny would still be talking to him. If the little fucker wanted to leave, well then, good riddance.

Harry sunk down into his bed, curling up beneath the blankets, the warmth giving him momentary comfort. He just needed to see Ginny, then everything would be fine. He'd explain the situation, make her see it wasn't his fault, he hadn't wanted to be there. He just needed a new game plan, a way to see her. He'd called her multiple times earlier this morning but received no answer, prompting him to just go to her house. That obviously didn't work, so he just needed a new plan. He just didn't know how to get her to see him. As his head swirled with thoughts, he slowly drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with the beautiful redhead, sitting at the park with him, happy and content like they had always been. No thoughts of the breakup, of Ginny crying or Draco to ruin his dreams. Only him and Ginny.

--

Harry honked loudly at the jerk in front of him who took his parking spot. He was not in a good mood. He slammed on the brakes to avoid ramming into another car before quickly speeding up, taking a suddenly vacant parking place. Putting the car in park, he pulled the keys out of the ignition, pocketing them as he pushed open the door, nearly hitting a man on a bike. He hurriedly jogged across the street, walking up to the front of the building. He stared up at the shop, hoping this would work. She should be here today. Harry heard the bell above the door chime as he walked inside, scanning the room.

Not finding who he was looking for, he made his way upstairs, scanning the rows for a mass of red hair. In his haste he turned the corner too sharply, not paying attention to where he was going, and smacked into someone.

The person tumbled to the floor while Harry stumbled backwards, irritated by being delayed in his search.

"Damn, I'm sorry-" The voice said before abruptly stopping. Harry looked down to see Ginny half standing up from the floor in front of him, her face quickly filling with dread. Harry's heart clenched painfully as he looked her over. She'd definitely seen better days. Her clothes were thrown on messily, her hair falling from its loose ponytail it was flung into. Large purple bags stood out against her pale skin under her eyes. Upon closer inspection, her eyes looked puffy and red, signally she had been crying. Harry's stomach plummeted at the thought. They also looked heavy as she tried to keep them open. Ron was right, she must not have been sleeping very well. And it was all his fault. Or really, Draco's. She immediately looked down upon seeing him, quickly gathering up the books she dropped.

Harry crouched down quickly, grabbing a few books also.

"Here, I'm sorry for running into you." He said quietly, handing her the books.

She took them from him roughly, not bothering to give him a response. She continued to stare at the ground, trying to occupy herself with the scattered books. She refused to look at him.

Ginny hastily stood up, brushing past him in an attempt to get away.

"Ginny, wait-" Harry said, grabbing her arm lightly.

"Don't touch me." She said harshly, roughly yanking her arm out of his grip.

Harry stared after her for a moment, before quickly following. He had to get her to listen.

"Ginny please wait. Just listen to me."

She ignored him, walking down the isle, placing books here and there.

"Ginny please." Harry begged, trying to catch her eye but not having much success.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "Would you just stop? I need to tell you what happened."

Still she continued to ignore him.

"Ginny-" He began, placing his hand once again on her arm.

She spun around before pushing him away from her.

"_Leave. Me. Alone_!" She exclaimed.

"Ginny, I just have to explain to you what happened-"

Ginny laughed, "Oh, I know what happened, you got caught and now you're going to try and beg me to forgive you. Just like last time. Well I'm not that stupid Harry, you got one chance and blew it."

"No Ginny-"

"I trusted you." She said, her voice breaking slightly. She quickly cleared her throat, her eyes narrowing at him, trying to disguise her momentary weakness.

"It wasn't what it looked like. If you would just listen…"

"It was exactly what it looked like."

"No it wasn't, you don't understand."

She scoffed, "I understand perfectly well. You've been playing me this whole time."

Harry shook his head, why wouldn't she just listen? "No I haven't-"

She interrupted him, not wanting to hear him speak, "And like a fool I believed you, thinking you had really changed."

"I have changed. Ginny, I care about you."

Ginny laughed coldly, shaking her head in disbelief, "You care about me huh? Really? Is lying to me showing me that? So what was the reason for dating me really Harry? You were buttering me up just to get another crack at my family's stuff?"

Harry stared at her indignantly, slightly hurt, "Of course not."

She rolled her eyes and began to walk away, "Just leave me alone Potter."

"No. Ginny look, it was Draco's fault," He said running after her, "He broke into the house and I-"

"I don't want to hear it! We're over Harry. _Done_. Get it through your thick skull. I hate you, I want absolutely nothing to do with you. I loved you," She said, her voice quivering slightly. She paused, then carried on strongly. "I trusted you, and you broke my heart. So at least give me the decency of leaving me alone."

Harry sighed, "I can't do that, you mean too much to me."

"Well that's your problem."

"Ginny just hear me out!"

"No!" She yelled, bringing the attention of a few customers nearby, "You did this Harry. You, not me. All I did is love you and you screwed me over."

Harry looked at her sadly, "It's not like that. Draco-"

"Stop using him as an excuse!" She yelled. Looking around at the small crowd that was forming, she marched closer to Harry, "You stole Harry, after promising me that you wouldn't."

"I didn't steal Ginny."

"Yeah, well, that bag full of stuff said otherwise."

"Ginny just-"

"Is there a problem over here?" A male's voice from the right said, pulling them from their argument. Harry looked over to see her boss standing a few feet away.

"No, no problem." Ginny said, ignoring Harry as she turned to her boss, "He was just leaving."

Her boss nodded before turning around and walking away.

Ginny turned to glare at him, "We're over, there's no winning me back this time. You blew it and I hate you." Harry saw hurt and sadness in her eyes for a brief moment at the idea, before it quickly disappeared, concealed by an angry glare once again. She turned sharply on her heels, walking back to a door marked 'Employees Only' before stepping inside and slamming the door shut. Harry stood in the middle of the isle as he heard the door click, the lock sliding firmly into place. She wasn't going to listen.

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**A/N:** Woohoo, a quickly update lol, kind of short though :P. Sorry it wasn't within the hour, I was watching a recorded Survivor episode. Only one episode behind now, go Boston Rob! He's pissed now. Russell better watch out. Loved Russell last season but put him against Rob and it's Rob all the way. Loved him since the first time he was on Survivor. Him and Amber were awesome too. And Tyson is a dumbass. Didn't mind him, but what a stupid move.

Anyways… Thanks for the large response! Nearly ten reviews in an hour. Very nice, and very encouraging. But by all means, don't stop! Keep 'em coming. I may update again in a short while… I was thinking about posting the rest of the story tonight so I could solidly move onto the fifth chapter of my next story. But, that's a lot of proof reading and I don't know if I'm quite up to it. But we'll see.

To the person who reviewed asking about money left to Harry by his parents: It had crossed my mind at one point, but I disregarded it. Don't remember why. But I think it was because, to me, Harry would have never found out about it, if there had been things left for him. One, either the Dursely's had some sort of legal right as Harry's guardians to take the money, or they would never have told him about it. I think normally he would have received some sort of letter from whomever to tell him about it when he turned eighteen, but Harry's been basically lost to the government for years. They don't know where he's at. So no, he doesn't have money left to him by his parents. Guess it just didn't fit in with the story.


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